


Two Hearts Become One

by Jdkwinxgrl



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: (Update: little bit of kissing), Angst, Body Sharing, Definite shounen ai but they don't kiss or anything, Destiny Island Trio, Friendship, Geeezzz, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mostly Roxas and Sora are bros, No SU characters, Only fusion, The fluffiest fluff, Vanitas is a sadistic jerk so pretty much he's just his usual self, YES VENTUS IS IN THIS AT ONE POINT OKAY HE WILL BE IN DIS, Yeah Roxas is still apart of Sora's heart, no yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2016-11-16
Packaged: 2018-05-04 10:29:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 46,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5330840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jdkwinxgrl/pseuds/Jdkwinxgrl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is no Roxas now... but there is no Sora. Roxas merged with Sora, but not in the way they hoped. After staying quiet for a long time, the two confront each other and do something never done before: The merge into one heart, each having equal control. Now, he is an all new being. He is neither. He is both. (No Yaoi)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Two

**Author's Note:**

> WOW. I WROTE AN ACTUAL FANFIC INVOLVING THE MAIN CHARACTERS THEMSELVES. NEVER THOUGHT I’D SEE THE DAY. Came up with this based on the Osgood principle from Doctor Who that she is neither Zygon or human. It’s a lot like Steven Universe fusion, but hey SU is awesome. Can be seen as Rokusora, but personally I just see them as really great friends who maybe just hug occasionally. Enjoyyyyy.
> 
> Bold is Sora's thoughts  
> Italic is Roxas' thoughts

Kairi wondered if she looked hard enough she’d see him. The boy that always danced around her thoughts and the boy whose smile brightened up her whole world. The boy who’d saved her life on more than one occasion.

It was the little things at first.

The changes in speech pattern, unnoticeable. But overtime, came up in everyday chatter. Kairi maybe gave him a confused look, nothing too obvious. People slip up from time to time. Her friend was still him. She’d always smile and tell him kindly and he’d always get that flustered smile and look at her with big ocean blue eyes. She’d look into those shimmering sapphires and remind herself that it was just nothing.

Then, it was the behaviour. He’d seem to get a tad bit faster to anger, his fists would clench a little, his eyes would narrow a little sharper and she could see those tiny details. His knuckles would then relax and she’d convinced herself it was nothing. It should be nothing, right?

Then, it was his appearance. She could see it, the tiny specs of blonde on the edge of his chocolate spikes. His skin was less darker too, some of that usual beach tan fading under the blistering sun. He’d be meeting her and his friends later and later, his sleep schedule progressing into a longer period. These details were too glaringly big to her, that she couldn’t shrug it off any longer. In her mind, she convinced herself something was wrong. But in her heart, she was too afraid to face the truth.

* * *

**What… what is happening…**

Sora thought to himself. There was something strange happening to his heart. He could feel it, a hole being drained and constantly filled at the same time. It all started after Roxas gave him all his memories. It was like  the memories were constantly traveling back and forth between the two souls, a mix between the two person’s memories. It seemed that the memories couldn’t decide where to stay so they were always trading places.

It sent his mind in a whirl. The memories were affecting his behaviour among other things. He could feel it, the aching.

**Roxas…**

Sora’s heart called longingly out to his nobody. Obediently, he came and stood in front of Sora on the station of serenity.

“So, you feel it too, huh? My heart is… yearning for something.” Roxas asked, placing a hand on his own chest. The words echoed in Sora’s head as if he somehow had guessed his Nobody was going to say that.  “But, you already knew that.” Roxas replied.

Ever since this whole mess started, Sora could feel Roxas stir inside him more often. His constant waves and ripples had stopped in the World That Never Was, but after the mastery exam, those waves had started up again, day by day becoming more restless like a tsunami.

Sora’s heart seemed unsatisfied with how things had gone with Roxas, and Roxas after truly becoming okay and accepted his terms, still had that rebellious seed deep inside. Now, it seemed they would come to face these emotions, the longing they felt in their hearts.

Sora bent over in pain as his eyes suddenly stung. Everything became blurry and the lines unmatched. When he looked up, everything was disconnected and the figure known as Roxas, started to look like a reflection of himself. It was like that for a few moments until his nobody’s voice cut through his thoughts. “Sora?!” He said. “Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah. I think.” Sora responded, still clenching his head with his hands. Then the pain came again and both of them mirrored each other’s movements of agony. Their hearts were crying out for each other and they wouldn’t stop screaming.

Suddenly, their eyesight went black. In the darkness, they could still hear each other's breathing, until it seemed it was insync. The pain died down inside them and they opened their eyes. Everything was muddy for a few moments, but then when their vision stabilized, the other was gone. Not seeing their other, they panicked and called out their name! “RSoxras!” Their voice called out.

Surprised, they covered their mouth with a swoop of their hand, eyes widened. Confusion swept over them.

_What’s going on? Sora?_

**What’s happening? Roxas!**

Their thoughts overlapping inside their head. They looked down to see their mismatched outfit, it was as if the two had merged. Their hearts… had become one. Well, not exactly. It seemed that it was still dysfunctional. They still had a tiny bit of the separate entities lingering.

_I think we need to calm down._

**Just what is happening?**

_S… Sor…. Sora… you're not helping._

**Did you just forget my name there. Did you.**

_I’m sorry, it just slipped!_

**Names don’t just slip, R… Rox… Roxas…**

_See?!_

**Well at least when we were in castle oblivion there was a reason we forgot names. Namine was messing with our head.**

_S… so… so…ra... Sora, I wasn’t in castle oblivion with you. We were at the Organization 13 headquarters._

**No we weren’t. Um, what’s your name again?**

_I’m… That doesn’t matter! Yes we were, ... m...me._

**I’m… not… you… R…o…**

**Were** _not_ **getting… _I’m not_**... **getting** _anywhere,_ **are I?**

_**No... we are…not.** _

_**I... should... just rest....**_

They curled up on the floor, eyes dull and distant as the two distinct voices faded. His eyelids drooped into slumber as they he heard the faint echo of the two voices slowly combine into one.

* * *

Sora’s eyes shot open in the morning sun gazing through his window.

**Just a dream…**

He thought to himself, with a smile. After the Mark of Mastery exam, strange dreams would not be on short supply, so he wasn’t sure why this particular one would be so shocking. It was all so foggy, he couldn’t remember why he was so scared in the first place.

Sora looked over at his clock to see he had slept in later than usual. Of course, it was a saturday, so he assumed it was only natural. He yawned and stretched his arms as he sat upright. For a few moments, his eyes stared off into space as he collected himself. Riku! Of course, he was supposed to meet Riku.

He jumped out of bed and scrambled to his closet. “C’mon, c’mon.” He randomly grabbed whatever clothes in reach and put them on. After nodding at his reflection in the mirror, checking his outfit was still somewhat presentable, he shook his hair and ran downstairs.

Sora dashed into the kitchen, his mother sipping on a cup of coffee. She happened changed at all these past years, still the same kind woman that always packed him a few extra cookies in his lunch box. “Good morning- Sora,” His mother said, chuckling at his appearance “what are you wearing?”

“Oh, well, I’m kinda in a hurry, but I can go change.” Sora replied, stopping dead in his tracks. His mother smiled and shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I know you're late for a very important date. I’m sure Riku won’t mind.” She said. Kairi might get a good laugh, though she thought. She took another sip of her coffee as Sora kissed her on the head.

“Love ya.” He said, before rushing out the door.

* * *

 

“Sora! You’re late!” Riku yelled out to him, waving from the far distance of the shore. Sora came running up, gasping for breath. “S-sorry!” He said between breaks. Stopping, he leaned over on his knees. “I came as fast as I can.”

“I can see you were in a hurry,” Riku said with chuckle “no wonder you look so mismatched.” Sora stood up straight and looked down at himself. He was wearing a usual red jacket over a vest, with white baggy shorts down to below his knees. His shoes were also different and he seemed to be wearing a wrist bracelet with a checkered pattern. Seriously, when did he ever buy that?

“Hey, I tried my best to be on time. At least level with me here!” He said with a frown akin to a child and crossed arms. “I would, but then I’d have to bend down to match your height.” Riku laughed and Sora punched him playfully in the shoulder for the remark.  

“Where’s Kairi?” Sora asked. He looked down the side of the beach to see nothing but the smoothly crashing waves and endless sand. “She said she had an errand to run before hand. We’ll meet up with her later. She told us yesterday, remember? Man, you have not been on your A-game lately, have you Sora?” Riku said jokingly.

“Yeah, okay, sorry.” Sora said, turning his eyes to the ground and absentmindedly kicking a little bit of sand with his hands in his pockets. His mind wandered to the dream he could not remember last night. He could definitely feel his heart aching in it’s search to remember.

“Um… Sora… is everything alright?” Riku asked, his tone more serious than before. Dang it, how did he always know when something was up? Sora looked up and put on one of his reassuring smiles. “Of course, Riku. And you say I’m a worry-wart.” He said with a laugh, trying hard to sound convincing. In his mind, he pleaded his friend would not notice.

“Whatever you say.” Riku said with a smile, messing up Sora’s hair and shaking his hand through it. “Hey! Stop!” Sora said, useless to try and stop him. Riku stopped for a moment and frowned. Sora’s laughing died away as he noticed his friend retract his hand. “What’s wrong, Riku?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

There it was.

Under all that soil brown hair.

Blonde roots.

Riku pretended not to notice as he quickly smiled. “Nothing.” Surely it was just a trick of the light, right? Sora was still Sora.

* * *

_Sora!_

He heard the blonde nobody call out his name, the voice echoing in his head. He tried moving, but found he could not, so he stayed planted face first on the ground.

**Roxas? What’s going on?**

Sora called out into the abyss of his mind. Suddenly, he remembered yesterday’s dream and started to panic. His heart started to race as he could feel their body going numb.

_Sora, calm down, if you keep it up, we're going to-_

The nobody’s voice was cut off, as the heart suddenly split into two and the two boys unmerged.

“...Separate.” Roxas finished, bouncing back onto the floor. “What the heck just happened?” Sora asked, scared. He was confused and flustered and frankly, all over the place.

“Well, it seems our two hearts became one heart instead of mine merging with yours, and you reigning dominantly over the two.” Roxas explained the best he could. “It only happens when our hearts are in sync, though, so if our emotions don’t line up, we split apart. It’s also the reason we couldn’t move: you wanted to, but I didn’t.”

“But… why?” Sora asked, calming down. The whole matter seemed odd beyond Sora had even heard of, but it had happened, so it must’ve been real.

“I don’t know. But you feel it don’t you? It’s happening again.” Roxas said. Sora focused on the emotions dwelling within him. Deep inside, he could feel it, his heart rate was changing again. “Look. Why do you have my wrist?” He asked.

“Huh? I don’t have your…” Sora’s voice faded as his fingers were on Roxas wrist, the veins connected to his heart. He could see now that Roxas was mimicking the motion with Sora’s own wrist. It seemed that they were measuring each others heart rates. Sora’s nervous eyes looked up into Roxas’s sapphire ones that were so much like his own. He could see sweat start to go down his nobody’s face as Roxas’s heart persistently tried to beat as fast as his own frightened heart.

That’s when everything clicked into place.

They both let out a yelp of pain as the two hearts slowly merged together once again, the two souls intertwining and appearances blending. Sora could feel his heart - or was it Roxas’s? - slowing down, the fear fading as his eyesight tried to stabilize. When everything had settled, a feeling of pure bliss washed over their heart as it beat contently in their chest. The emotion couldn’t help but make them smile.

**Woah.**

_I know._

**Now how do we move again? Oh right.**

_Remember what I literally just said moments ago._

**Oh right.**

 

Their eyes fluttered open as they tried to look around. The Station of Serenity was a weird mix of Roxas and Sora’s, the blue sky and twilight slowly mixing together. Sora tried to move right, but his other prevented him from doing so. Sora sighed mentally. Moving was going to be hard.

**Let’s go right.**

_But what about left, that’s where I am._

**Why not me though?**

_You’ve had your own body for some time, at least give me some chances._

**You know I couldn’t help that!**

_Fine, why not at least stand up first?_

Sora didn’t argue as they put their knee up and pushed themselves onto their feet.

**That wasn’t so hard.**

_I sometimes wish you weren’t so optimistic._

**I’m sorry, I can’t help it.**

Their heart slowly skipped a beat and they could both feel it. It was impossible to hurt each other because it was like hurting themselves. It’s harder to inflict pain if you feel the same thing as the person you're inflicting it on.

_Well, maybe some of that optimism will rub off on me. In this state, we do have the same heart._

**You never know, anything could happen.**

_I can’t see it going any other way._

They crossed their arms over their chest and held the side of their arms, laughing. They abruptly stopped. “Did we just do that?” They said, voices in sync.

_**I guess we did.** _

They smiled, thoughts perfectly aligned. Their heart radiated glee as laughter coursed through them like liquid sunshine. Roxas wondered if this is what Sora felt like, being so happy everyday, always being able to see the bright side of everything.

These thoughts muddled everything up and Sora could feel himself rippling, finally disconnecting again.

“Roxas? Is everything okay?” Sora asked with concern. Roxas shook his head, saddened by his own train of thought. Sora walked over and stood in front of him. He looked up into his other’s eyes and could see the tears forming in them.

“No. Because… this is just a dream. You're going to wake up with no memory of this, and I’m going to sit here, all alone again. This isn’t the first time we’ve done this! We’ve done this many times, but you always forget and we end up splitting apart! You're always so happy, and able to see beyond the storm. I can’t do that… I’m more sharper and angrier than you and your gentle hands will ever be.” Roxas said, trying to shy away, trying to run so far, that no one could find him and he could hide his weakness. But his heart refused to let him and his feet stood planted on the beautiful stain glass floor.

“Roxas… when we're connected like that… I know you think that it’s just me, that you're an addon, but you said it yourself: Our form only works if our hearts are the same. Those happy emotions couldn’t have been all me, but also you. Our heart can’t shine brightly if we're both not willing to let the light in. Roxas, you're not just a dream to me…” Sora said, wiping away the tears of his nobody, partner, other, his...  “...you're my friend.”

Roxas stopped crying to see the tears in Sora’s eyes, showing how sincerely honest he felt. Not able to take the separation any longer, Roxas hugged Sora, much to his surprise. His other was always so warm and gentle, and Roxas let himself get lost in that feeling as Sora put his arms around him. The two hearts resonated and slowly merged into one, all their feelings getting mixed up in their souls, until all that was left was the one being in their place.

They just sat there, the silence not empty, but full of comfort. The feeling of being safe and sound. The heart was finally at peace.

* * *

_**Hmm? What’s going on?** _

He thought. He slowly sat up in bed and looked around, the room still in a daze. After a few blinks, he shrugged it off and sluggishly got out of bed. After his feet made contact with the warm carpet floor, he pushed himself up and slipped on his bunny slippers.

He yawned and put a hand over his mouth. The smell of morning breath rushing through his nose, almost startling him. Yikes.

_**Bathroom.**_

He agreed, nodding. He made his way towards the door and turned the cold metal knob. He shuffled his feet across the hallway to the bathroom and pushed it open, whispering a quiet bit of triumph under his breathe. Good, it wasn’t occupied. The fact in of itself he hadn’t bumped into his mom on the way here had been a miracle, she’d surely be unhappy with how unkempt he looked.

He picked up his blue toothbrush and squirted the toothpaste onto the thistles. He raised the toothbrush to his mouth and looked up into mirror…

and immediately dropped it into the sink.

He widened his big blue sapphire eyes at what was reflected in front of him. Sure he looked like Sora, but at the same time, he looked like Roxas. His hair was like big floppy leaves, darting in different directions and sticking up in some places. It was undoubtedly brown, but the bright blonde roots spawning from the middle of his head had grown to a much bigger degree. This was the first time he’d ever seen them in this form.

He put his hand on his cheek and then pinched it. “Ow!” He let out a small yelp of pain. Yep, this wasn’t a dream and this was definitely him. Hopefully he didn’t wake his mom with that test.

He looked both left and right, as if confirming there wasn’t some ninja in the bathtub. He then leaned on the sink and pressed in closer to the mirror. “...Sora?...Roxas?” He whispered.

_**Yes?** _

He answered in his thoughts. He looked down at his chest, his heart beating a smooth happy pace, his fear being pushed down by undoubtedly Sora’s optimistic half, and filled with an odd soothing wave, Roxas probably expressing his content to stay the way they were. And from the amount of synchronization the one heart was radiating, the two hearts weren’t going to separate anytime soon.

_**Why did we stay like this?** _

He thought, the two voices overlapping and flowing together inside their head. The sound of his own voice was happiness to his ears, the two hearts hearing the other’s voice and smiling.

_**If we're going to get any answers, we should probably stop this.** _

He thought with a sigh. He closed his eyes and they could feel the other heart slowly coming into focus, the two heart beats becoming more different, but still the same heart as he stood stiff like a zombie in the bathroom.

_Sora!_

**Roxas!**

_Okay, what did you want to talk about?  
_

**As much as I like this, what about Riku and the others, wait, forget them, what about OUR MOM.** **She’s gonna freak if she sees us!**

_Just calm down, won’t they accept us the way we are? Riku turned into the appearance of one of your worst enemies and you and Kairi still liked him._

**Well, I know they accept me, but… you're a different story. And last time I checked, you didn’t really like Riku all that much.**

_But, I don’t want to be away from you._

Sora could tell from where his nobody was coming from, his own heart all too pleased to stay this way.

**Please, just let me talk to them first.**

_… Make sure you don’t forget about me._

The one heart slowly separated into the two hearts and Sora could feel total control slipping back into his grasp once more. By the time he could barely feel Roxas, he could see his appearance had gone back to normal. He gave himself a shake, trying to readjust to the feeling.

His heart ached for his other, the emptiness Roxas used to fill causing him pain. Sora pushed that feeling down. He needed to think of a plan.

* * *

"Okay, be ready." Sora said and closed his eyes. His heart called out for his Nobody and Roxas obediently answered, the constant prescience growing stronger. The walls he had put up were torn down and he could feel Roxas jump into his heart's outstretched arms. The two hearts slowly merged into one and Riku and Kairi could see Sora change before them.

His blonde roots conquered more of his brown hair, whose spikes dulled down to part in different directions. His face changed and shifted a bit.

He opened his glimmering eyes to their astounded faces. "Hi." He said with a small wave.

Riku got on the defensive side. "Which one are you? Sora or Roxas?" He said more like a demand than a question.

"I'm Me." He responded simply. The answer, unsurprisingly, did not please his friend. Kairi looked him up and down. "Do you have a name?" She asked, certainly more kind than Riku.

_**But... We don't really have a name...**_

He thought inside his head.

"My name is Sora... Always has been, always will. But you can call me Hikari if you want." He said, flashing his signature smile and putting his arms behind his head. The "real" Sora was surprised, because it was Roxas who had suggested the idea.

_**I guess Roxas is just an anagram of Sora with “X”.**_

They thought.

Kairi and Riku were exchanging unconvinced glances. “For how long has this been going on? More importantly why?” Riku asked.

Technically, they had been one heart for quite some time, but Sora’s heart and soul reigned dominantly over Roxas’s heart unequally. Sora after realizing this, always had wanted Roxas to be his own person, a life of his own. After their two hearts had truly merged, both person had an equal control over the body. When they talked, it was always in rhythm with the other, a bond of complete trust over the other’s actions. There was no Sora or Roxas anymore in this state.  

Their minds and heart were one, forming almost a completely new being.

He hugged his shoulders over his chest.“We feel more comfortable this way… almost making sure we never feel alone again.” The fusion said, pacing his words carefully. Riku still took a deep breath, trying to process this. “You said ‘we’, but you also said your one heart?” He asked.

“I’m both of them, just merged into one. Two hearts just beating to the same  rhythm. I'm Roxas, but I'm not Roxas, I'm Sora, but I'm not Sora..." He said confidently.

"So you can change back?" Riku asked. Obviously, he could weave in and out of both forms, but the details were kinda fuzzy.

Hikari nodded. "Uh-huh." They were silent for a few moments until Riku made a go on gesture. "Um... We kinda can't right now. To put it simply, were too comfortable like this. Problem?" He said, his face frowning a bit. Riku agreed silently that that line definitely had come from Roxas. The thing that confused Riku though, was that Sora had let him say it.

"I still have all the same memories and feelings though. That'll never change." Hikari said. "But I've promised to remain the true Sora most of the time."

Slowly, the one heart started to separate, at first refusing to do so. Until finally, the heart reluctantly split into two and Sora's appearance changed back. He bent over on his knees and coughed up blood from the action.

"Sora!" The two friends rushed over in surprise. His body rejected the transition, causing pain to course through him. "My heart... Prefers to be that way." He said, standing up and wiping the blood from his mouth. His heart was in pain, ripped from his other’s arms causing it to gush out in agony. "Could I please... Go home..." He started to stumble. Then his face hit the warm sand and everything went black.

* * *

 

He sat up in bed, gazing at the night sky through his window, his heart merged contently. In this state, he tended to heal faster, the power of two hearts working away to heal one. He clenched and unclenched his fist. He also felt stronger and was faster this way. Everything was improved when Sora and Roxas were in harmony within him.

He looked down at the heart beating away in his chest. It was full of warmth and love, the feelings the two felt for each other constantly humming away peacefully. That’s why he was always so happy, surely the two expressing their content for being together the way they were. Sometimes, when they weren't voicing his own thoughts, he could hear the two voices whisper the other's name affectionately, as if making sure the other would never leave.   

He layed down and closed his eyes. It seemed whenever their heart wasn’t focused on his senses, they would be able to talk to each other. They slowly let go of their limbs and he rested his head back as he fell into sleep.

**What exactly happened today?** Sora’s voice rang out.

 _I didn’t know changing back would hurt you, would hurt us._ Roxas responded

**Well it’s definitely something we need to work on. It didn’t happen the first time.**

_Why did you even want to separate?_

**Because Riku asked.**

_Ha! So, you’re everybody’s puppet now?_

**There’s a difference between order and request. Riku’s my friend.**

Their body curled up, putting a hand to their chest, the small bickering causing a few ripples in their connection, the form wavering.

_Why are you so quick to trusting everyone? Anyone could betray you at any moment._

**Huh? Why would they?**

_What do you mean “why”?_

**Well, why do you assume everybody has a secret motive? I prefer to see the good in others, because what else is there to see? Everyone deserves kindness.**

_There’s darkness in everyone. Even me._

**Yes, but I know you. You can’t lie to me while our hearts are one. You’re not complete darkness, Roxas. I see the light inside you, even if you can’t, and you don’t need me to tell you this. Aren’t most your attacks light based? And I know, you still will do what’s right, because that’s just who you are.**

_… No, that’s who we are. Were one heart, remember?_

**Right!**

_As much as I like talking to you like this, we should probably stop this if we wish to maintain our form together._

Sora agreed silently and he could feel Roxas closer to him than ever before. All feelings of anger and traces of fighting slowly drained away, replaced by the warm satisfaction of being together.

**One last thing.**

_Hm?_

Their voices slowly melted into one, embracing each other in complete trust.

**_I love you._ **

* * *

**  
** A/N: pLLLAAAATTOOONic


	2. Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRoUbLe in pArAdiSe.  
> Sora's and Roxas' heart breaks and Roxas' faces a ghost from the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS WORLD NEEDS MORE NON-ROMANCE KAIRI POV FICS OK. I might put a link to a picture of my Sun Child (Hikari) but idk, I'm horrible at art. ENJOYYYY

During that night, Roxas slowly retracted his heart from Sora's and Sora regained complete control of his body. When he woke up, it felt weird to be back full force again. He was much too content to be working alongside his nobody, and now, he felt an odd sense of longing.

It's not that all traces of Roxas were gone though. Some of his thoughts would be intertwined between his own, and some things he did do, were definitely Roxas.

Whenever he was alone, he could faintly feel Roxas beginning to have a grip again and slowly slipping back into the empty void he always left behind. Sora couldn't control it, so he just let Roxas trickle in and before he knew it, he wasn't alone anymore. He was just content to sit there, back leaning against the wall, the warmth and serenity his nobody brought coursing through them, their merged heart beating happily in their chest. Those moments were what strengthened him and prepared him for the cold separation the rest of the day would bring, until nighttime when they slipped back into their merged state.

It seemed Sora's own heart had started growing dependant on his other's. He couldn't go a few days without suffering from withdrawal. His heart would start to ache and the pain would grow inside him, crying out for the heart that satisfied his desire. Sure, Sora's heart was undeniably strong, but being merged with Roxas, Sora knew it made Roxas feel whole, like he had an actual life again. Sometimes, they'd stayed merged from the night into the day, just to mix things up a little. (Roxas secretly did it just to mess with everyone)

"Hey Sor-" Kairi said coming into his kitchen, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw him. "Sora." she finished continuing her trek and putting on a smile. It always startled her when she saw him like this, but then she calmed down. Sora was still Sora.

She blushed and sat down beside him at the table, an amused smile on his face. He posed his elbow on the table and leaned on it. He looked at her alluring violet eyes.

_**She looks so cute when she's flustered.** _

They thought. Sora would always see Kairi as Kairi, but Roxas would see her as Namine. Either way, their heart fluttered in their chest every time they saw her.

They could see her tense and shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "Are you really that scared of me, Kairi? I can always change back." He said with a small laugh.

"No, it's okay. It's fine like this. If it's fine with you, as your friend, it's fine with me." Kairi said, avoiding his eyes and flattened out her skirt with her hands nervously. Hikari frowned, unconvinced. He lovingly stroked her arm with the back of one of his fingers and she jumped at the contact.

He straightened up and put his hand on her chin, turning her head to face him. "Kairi, please don't lie to me. I'd hate to make you uncomfortable." He said sincerely. She couldn't avoid his honest, kind eyes, staring at his face full force like this. He didn't look exactly like Sora, but under his voice and in his heart, she could feel his gentle warmth beaming back at her like a sun. Such a light was being hindered by the concern he was feeling for her right now.

She nodded with a sigh. "It's really okay. I understand. And I'm really happy, that you're happy." She said truthfully with a smile that caused him to blush. Sora nodded with a smile and sat back in his chair, hands crossed behind his head. He was more quiet than usual, the silence almost having weight to it. Usually Sora'd babble on about things endlessly and Kairi wouldn't be able to get a word in edgewise. But now, it just seemed... off.

"Hey Kairi, I was wondering..." They said slowly, tapping their fingers absentmindedly on the table. Kairi nodded and encouraged him to go on. "Could I maybe borrow your history study notes? I seem to have lost mine."

Kairi laughed, all of her previous doubts slowly melted away. Still Sora. "Fine, but soon you'll have to start asking Riku, because I can't keep letting you borrow them." She said. She opened her eyes and saw his smile was a tiny bit different at her words. He nodded his head slowly.

"Y'know… the other day, Riku and me were just practicing… and, I… think I hurt him a little more than usual." He said, face slowly slipping into a frown. He quickly glanced at her and then nervously at the table.

"Huh? Doesn't that mean you're improving? Must mean you're getting better, for sure." Kairi said smiling, lightly shaking his shoulder in encouragement. They looked back at her with a worried expression. They weren't buying what she was selling.

And then, just like that, it seemed Roxas began to fade away and his appearance slowly reverted back to Sora. For a moment, he sat there, body trembling a bit. Sora then forced his signature smile as Kairi tried to hide her surprise at the slow change.

"You're probably right." Sora said reassuringly. "Of course it was just improvement! I need to train to one day beat Xehanort for good. This is probably just the first step." He laughed and jokingly swung punches in the air, a twinkle his eyes. Kairi laughed, falling prey to his attempt at humor.

Sora immediately started on picking up the heavy atmosphere set down before, the two of them exchanging for what seemed (and probably was) hours. But the thoughts still lingered at the back of his mind. It was probably nothing, except, just… He didn't mean to hurt Riku…

...did he?

* * *

Sora closed his eyes in bed. He could barely fall asleep at night, due to the excitement in his veins. "Roxas!" He called out on his station of serenity. His heart rate increased as his nobody came into focus in his mind, the joy of seeing his blonde other causing him to smile. "Sora!" Roxas smiled, running over to his other. He jumped into the air and tackled the brunette playfully to the ground.

Roxas kneeled over Sora's body on the ground, preventing him from getting up. Roxas' fingers gently gracing across Sora's body, tickling him. "C'mon stop, Rox!" Sora said between laughs. Roxas showed no sign of slowing down as he knew all of his other's weak spots. It was almost pleasing to see his small body squirm like that.

"Ow…" Sora said in pain and Roxas immediately stopped, quickly retracting his hand. "Are you alright?!" He asked, worried. Regret filled him as he was second guessing all of his decisions.

"Got'cha!" Sora grabbed his side and playfully pushed his nobody to the ground, the two switching positions and Sora gaining the upper hand. Sora quickly set to working his hands in all of his nobody's ticklish spots and the blonde's laughter filled the air. Sora smiled. Tickling someone was undoubtedly much more fun than he imagined.

Roxas' heart beat in his chest at a wild wavelength, but with Sora's laughter, his own heart was persistently catching up. Because of Roxas' coldness toward others, he always shied away from other people. Most of the time, it was Sora trying to match up with Roxas, because it was easier for him to do. Sora's heart accepted everybody, and Roxas' own rejected almost everyone.

Sora subconsciously pressed closer towards his nobody and stopped his tickle attack. The pair locked eyes with each other and sat there silently, their breathing slowly matching up. That's when their hearts aligned together and everything whirled around them. When everything became clear again, Hikari was standing there, laughing.

"Why didn't we do this sooner?" He smiled, sticking out his arms and twirling around in happiness. It was pure bliss to be one heart again. In this state, he always forgot why they had to split up in the first place.

It was so easy to forget they were two seperate people like this, when they lost their individual voices and spoke as one. Their minds interweaved and trusted each other completely, that they knew the other's thoughts, feelings and movements perfectly. Once before it had completely slipped his mind and Kairi forced them to unmerge, unwilling to have the "true" Sora lost forever.

This caused Sora to worry. What if it actually did happen? What if he and Roxas were to remain merged forever? His memories would certainly allow that, seeing as Roxas's life filled the gap that Castle Oblivion had left in him.

All these thoughts were pushed down by their heart trying to stay in one piece, so the voice known as Sora was pressured into silence.

He stretched his arms and cracked his head. He then let his arms dangle at his side, fingers dangling anxiously. "Let's see if we can dual wield." He said. Sure enough, two Kingdom Keys were summoned by his will into his two hands. He smiled in triumph.

That's when they felt it.

The darkness.

It came almost like misty vines, making their way across the station of serenity towards them. It was mostly because of the strong heart they held within them, a heart made of two warriors of the light and keyblade. With the darkness forming, he remained calm and collected, their heart trying to beat at steady pace. His hands tightened around the weapons at his side.

_**Not afraid, not afraid, not afraid** _

He thought to himself, trying to hold back the fear itching at his heart. No, it wasn't the darkness that scared, them, but what was probably waiting within it. The presence itself sending small beads of sweat down their face, even though it usually did not frighten them at all. The darkness swirled around their body, the darkness felt slimey on his flesh. It felt icy and breath cold, as he tensed up in it's presence. It's not like he could do anything, if he were to attack the ominous mist, it would just reform after being puffed away. He just stood there, the mist seeming to be observing or looking for something, not suffocating him or hurting him.

"Impenetrable? How?!" A voice came from the darkness. "Just like you, pathetically hiding behind the safety of others. And what to do if your strong wall breaks?" It said with a sadistic laugh. He now had on a stern face, his eyes narrowing at the mist, partly in the anger it felt within it's confusion.

"If you say friends' bonds are strong, then how about I tear apart the two? I know how much you'd hate that." the voice seemed to be smiling cruelly, wherever it was. "Let's see how you like it when bonds are the very cause of your undoing." The heart's pulse was speeding up. It was probably talking about tearing the bond that held them in this state. It was a very delicate state already, with so many rules to abide to. One was the total synchronization and friendship of Sora and Roxas. They wouldn't be able to remain this way if they were at discord, and the voice knew this.

Lately, whenever Roxas and Sora met at night, their hearts were always so eager and happy to be together, they merged just by both being on the Station of Serenity. For a while, it was always hard to sync, and whenever doing so would bring them a bit of pain. Their souls were mostly the cause, resisting the basic role to be oneself. But, to put it simply, their hearts were learning. Sora had picked up a few, if not most of Roxas' patterns, and developing them made it a lot easier. Roxas' own heart was trying to beat as fast as Sora's unnaturally "always in a good mood" and "just ran a marathon" heart. Not that they minded this, seeing as it always felt pleasant to be merged without any difficulties restraining their mood. Hikari was their conversation, their bond in manifestation.

_My heart wouldn't be into it, you know?_

Axel's last words echoed in Roxas's part of their heart, causing him great pain and sadness. Why now of all times would he remember that? The scene kept replaying in his mind, reminding him how helpless he was.

On Sora's side however, all he found were that memories of Kairi were flooding in. The sound of her laugh coursed through his side like the songs of birds chirping happily in the morning, her smile like the sun that rises up from the ground and shone on everybody. Seeing her happy was what had driven him.

Their heart erected a small barrier around them in a last effort chance to save them. It did not stop the inevitable however, and with their emotions out of sync, the two split apart. "Ow!" Sora called out, his butt making contact with the floor ungracefully.

Roxas stared at Sora distastefully, knowing exactly what the other had been thinking "How can you be happy! When Axel died, it was because of her, Sora!" Roxas yelled, quickly getting up on his feet. "It's always Riku this, Kairi that, WHAT ABOUT YOUR OTHER FRIENDS! Or do you like abandoning those too? Leaving them to die!"

Sora was about to answer, but with the unmerge came something they hadn't expected.

The Station of Serenity, literally split into two.

"Roxas!" Sora reached out for his other's hand, but it did not make contact with anything. Roxas turned away from him as the two halves of the stain-glass grew farther apart. Sora tried to run and jump, but his body slammed against an invisible wall, preventing him from doing so.

Sora felt weaker and frail. The light in his heart noticeably different than before having his heart forcibly ripped apart so harshly. His heart was starting to weaken, and Sora could feel it. In order to repair the damage, he's need to merge with Roxas, but his Nobody was well far away. Sora sighed and looked down at Roxas' sleeping body ingrained on the floor, so peaceful and quiet. His eyes wandered to the darkness surrounding the stain-glass. It was not empty this time, like the usual void. "Trouble in paradise?" The voice sadistically laughed in Sora's ear. It was unsettling, like someone whispering too close for comfort.

Sora swung his keyblade in the direction of the voice, the fog dissipating and reforming again. "Show yourself already!" The teen yelled out angrily gripping the keyblade in his hands. His body in a attack position, ready for anything that may face him.

"You know, Roxas doesn't mind hurting your friends." The voice said. "He made your body hurt Riku the other day didn't he, when he didn't agree with him…" The mist attempted to get close to Sora, but found it could not with the barrier. Sora's heart was more easier to get to compared to their light combining and creating a shield that made his and Roxas' heart like a strong fortress. Sora still had faith in Roxas, even if the Nobody didn't. But the darkness found he could probably sway the young hero with words, instead of a physical attack. The next whisper was directly in his ear, breath sending shivers down his spine.

"And you let him."

Sora tensed his hands into fists, his anger rising. "Shut up!" He yelled in the unknown.

"Face it, your letting him turn you violent, something your not. Your becoming more like him, and he's enjoying every second. He'll probably hurt Riku again and you can't stop him." The voice kept on explaining. Sora bit his lip. This voice was just lying to him… right?

 

* * *

It'd been four days since Sora's fight with Roxas. Sora was getting sleepier and sleepier each day, his energy draining. His temperature was also higher than normal, causing him to start getting a fever. He tried to smile and hide the aching in his heart, but he wasn't fooling anyone. The pain had begun to become unbearable, that he'd lurch over clutching his chest, crying out.

He was sitting at his kitchen table talking to Kairi, the pain in his chest subsiding for the moment.

"... But Selphie wouldn't let me, even though I could've." She was explaining. Riku laughed at her story, and got up to get some orange juice from the fridge. Ever since Sora had been feeling feverish, his mother had confined him to the house, his two friends sneaking in to visit while she was away.

"Wish I'd been there…" Sora said with a sad tone. He let a sniffle escape, as he rubbed his nose with the soft blanket he was wrapped in. He took a sip of chicken noodle soup and Riku lightly punched him in the arm, causing him to slightly spill the liquid. "You didn't miss out on much." Riku said with confidence.

Sora blew on the hot soup he was trying to balance after Riku shook him. "Hey!" Sora said, trying to take a sip again. Riku smiled. It seemed Sora was getting back into his normal behaviour, which showed he was getting better.

Kairi's face lit up, laughing as she watched the two play around. Sora's eyes caught sight of her as he glanced up from placing his mug on the table. Her eyes were shining violets and cheeks red from the sun, but full of life. Her face just looked so pretty and happy when she laughed. Sora blushed, wondering if she had caught him staring. Roxas probably would've poked fun at his cowardice.

**Roxas…**

Sora bent over in pain as his heart once again filled with longing. It beat rapidly in his chest, and hurt his insides all over. His throat felt hot and he coughed violently. That's when he could taste it, the iron. Sora put some fingers in his mouth and looked at them, trying to focus his wavering vision.

**Blood.**

He knew he was rejecting the feelings in his heart, that refusing to see Roxas and resolve their issue is what caused this. Sora was a person that followed his heart without question, so this was an oddity in itself. His heart was crying out for his other, and was starting to break due to their forced separation. Usually Sora could go a week fine, maybe a bit of sleepiness, but this was way worse. When the two unmerged, Sora's and Roxas' heart would become "separate" than their merged state. This time, they had just ripped the one heart in two, each running away with the other half. He was barely clinging on to life as it was.

"Hey- Ohmygosh! Sora! Is that blood are you okay?!" Kairi immediately rushed to him and Riku dropped his carton of orange juice to come to his aid.

"Sora, tell me what's going on, right now." Riku said, grabbing his friend lightly by the shoulders. Sora could feel the concern running through his fingertips, and tried not to meet his glare as more blood trickled out of his lips.

"It's something to do with Roxas, isn't it?" Kairi posed the question. Sora nodded slowly after processing her question, his mind was slipping and eyes losing their shine. His thoughts were fuzzy and he summoned up the strength to speak.

"How…?" He asked Kairi.

"I am way smarter than you give me credit for, Sora. I took Life Guarding courses while you were gone, I learned CPR, I grew my skills. You had saved me, and I was subconsciously preparing to save you. You two always fought over me and tried protecting me, but I don't need that anymore. Sora, I care for you, and if you aren't well, it… it hurts me." Kairi said kneeling down beside him in his chair and placing her gentle hand on his cheek. Sora through his haze could see the tears welling up in her eyes. "Now, do what you have to do, and save yourself, please Sora."

Sora his gaze on her for a few seconds and nodded slowly. He shut his eyes and everything went black.

* * *

Sora opened up his eyes and found he was slowly floating down in the pitch black. He slowly landed on the half Station of Serenity, and looked down at it's condition. The stain-glass was unbelievably cracked and it's colours had faded, struggling to barely stay alive. Sora had resolved in his head that what he had been doing was beyond stupid. What mattered most was Roxas, wherever he was, that he was going to find him, and apologize.

"Back so soon?" The voice whispered in his ear. Sora jumped and looked around, but could still not find the owner.

"You know, your friend is a jerk. But he's right you know, he's not as bad as you." The voice said, jabbing him the side painfully. Sora let out a wince of pain, but tried to stay standing. "You make so many oaths, you just can't keep them. One day, you're going to fall into oblivion because of this, and nobody's going to be around to help you."

The keyblade wielder stood there silently for a moment, his face still in that angry glare. "Yeah right, I'll never believe you!" He yelled out, at first a bit timid. "If you think I'm so ready to abandon everyone, I'll just have to find Roxas and prove you wrong, because were friends and that's what friends do for each other, no matter what you say, no matter what you do, our bond is stronger than you'll ever be able to stand in our way!"

The voice, with one last defiant grow, faded away. Sora could feel the voice's presence gone, as if it had left, probably to wherever his other was. Sora needed to find Roxas, and fast.

He stood there, alone on the broken station. Until, suddenly, he heard a faint sound, almost like a bell, in the distance. Sora turned his head towards the ringing to see a faint ball of light floating in the air above a stain-glass staircase step. It bobbed up and down paitently, as if urging the young hero to follow.

Sora ran towards it, the ball flying up and revealing more steps. He kept on jumping on them, following this weird light into the unknown, and hopefully, towards Roxas.

* * *

Meanwhile, Roxas sat down on his station.

He had managed to get away with Sora's half of the stain-glass, and he stared at the hero's sleeping face as he rested on it, undisturbed, but cracked and broken beyond belief. Roxas wanted to bound his face in with his two keyblades, but had already tried, the keyblades bouncing off repeatedly, leaving behind no trace or scratch.

Inside, Roxas could feel Sora calling out to his heart, but he tried to ignore his other's pleas. Roxas could remember his voice; it was for the most part childish and enthusiastic, but also sincere and every word he spoke had depth to it, showing he really cared about what he had said. It was also, very annoying.

Roxas thought he had come to terms with his other long ago after the death of his dear friend Axel, but it seemed the hurt inside him had returned with an angry vengeance. All these thoughts in his head were screaming in pain and crying, he was a mess inside and it was breaking the heart he didn't always thought he had.

When he had first returned to Sora, it was disjointed and incorrect. After fighting with Sora in the World That Never Was, Roxas realized something and gave up all of the anger towards him, his mind unclouded and clear. His heart, which had been refusing the process, finally let go and merged with Sora the way DiZ intended. But after you lose a person, they aren't entirely gone.

Roxas, his will still lingered. So he met with Sora again when he had fallen into a deep dream, and gave him his memories. Ever since, it seemed the memories couldn't decide where to go, so they constantly flowed in and out of both of them. Then they had met, on the now broken Station of Serenity, and this whole mess started.

Roxas thought he was fine being a part of Sora, but the longing to be truly "alive" again still stayed, a little speck of dust deep inside him. The yearning the taste salty treats, to feel the twilight sun on his skin and truly see the laughs on his friend's faces. Maybe that's why he was so willing to merge the first time, the chance to actually have some sort of control over his body again.

At first, he didn't understand. For one minute, Sora was standing in front of him, then he was looking at himself from his other's eyes. A great pain coursed through him, his heart felt like it was on fire. The relief from the pain fading was reassuring and rejuvenating, like a bucket of cool water flowing all over you on a hot summer's day. His heart had stopped that aching feeling, it didn't feel like it was trying to jump out of his chest anymore. Whatever it had been longing for it had finally gotten and was now satisfied, settled and beating at a calm steady pace.

Then, when he opened his eyes, he couldn't see Sora. But he could definitely feel Sora. It felt like a warm, gentle sunshine, lightly petting at him and laughing gleefully. It made him feel sleepy, content to lay down in a soft cloud and rest, reassurance washing over him that he was safe, that he was home. That's when he realized that his heart, was Sora's.

Roxa had no clue what to think. It unsettled him how good it felt to be in control again. Sure, this was just their Soul, but the Body was following close behind. Soon, Sora snapped out of his hazy state and realized what had happened. This ripped the two apart and Roxas back into the void. His heart started to fill up with anguish. And because Roxas was within Sora's heart, the keyblade wielder started to feel it to.

They met again, but Sora didn't remember anything, much to his surprise. Roxas wanted to try to see if they could do whatever they did, again. Seeing his confused somebody, Roxas gave into that feeling his heart had inside, which grew stronger every single time he was in Sora's presence. Just seeing him, would cause his heart to try and rip out out of his chest. Why? Why was his heart doing this? Roxas was confused and desperately needed to quench the pain he felt.

So, their hearts had merged again. Roxas's heart, or rather, their heart, was content. And Roxas didn't think there was anything more. That's when he felt it, Sora's calm feeling. He didn't mind it, but then it started to naw away at him. Most of him had given in, and he could tell most of Sora had, too. When speaking to his other in their mind, he started to refer to both of them instead of singular pronouns, until the point where their voices spoke seamlessly in rhythm. Roxas wanted to resist, but found he couldn't. Every night, he couldn't stop his heart from embracing Sora's. It just felt so… right. Their hearts intertwined perfectly, and melded together without even trying. Roxas wanted to have a body again, and Sora was just so kind and nice, he let him.

But right now, Roxas loathed that feeling and shunned it. So when he saw Sora racing towards him, he wished the shield around him would block more than just the darkness. "Decided you'd come back? I thought your other friends were more important." Roxas barked harshly. He threw his keyblade towards Sora, knocking him to the ground.

Sora tried to get up, but Roxas dug Oathkeeper and Oblivion into the ground, preventing Sora from moving and using both keyblades to his advantage. Sora resisted the urge to summon his own blade, not wanting to provoke Roxas in this state. "You're not thinking rationally. Axel was your friend just as much as Kairi and Riku are mine!" Sora explained.

“WAS. Sora, was.” Roxas barked. “Until everybody decided I wasn’t worth it and made me forget Axel, and who knows who else!” Roxas took Oblivion in his hand tried to swing it down on his somebody, Sora barely managing to roll out of the away from the attack. Sora rolled onto his knees in a kneeling position, kingdom key summoned. Roxas “I’m tired of being to second to you, it’s always you. You’re the reason she-” Roxas started shaking, tears running down his face. He could see the two keyblades stuttering in his hands and he couldn’t remember. Why couldn’t he remember? The reason he had two of them. The reason why he had survived so long-

He dropped his keyblades and they clattered to the floor, the sound echoing on the broken station. His knees gave in and he fell on them, head in his hands.  His eyes were drawn to the stain glass Kairi, smiling blissfully at space, at the emptiness. The image made him want to cry, but also smile. To laugh, but also lash out in rage. “Why why WHY?!” Roxas yelled angrily through his tears as he pounded his fists rapidly on the glass, no gloves to protect him from any pain that might befall his skin.

“Roxas-” Sora said slowly drawing nearer, his keyblade gone and his movements cautious.

“DON’T COME NEAR ME! Don’t ruin anything else like you’ve already done with my whole life.” Roxas cried out, throwing Oblivion at his other. Sora managed to dodge the keyblade and quickly gathered his bearings.

Sora took a minute to really look at his Nobody. Roxas was on full out tears, head bowed and face in his hands. The image was almost foreign to him, Roxas didn’t like to be seen as weak around others and he’d especially never seen him so upset before. Sora decided that he’d need to tread on safe grounds when speaking to him, especially since he didn’t know what Roxas was upset over.

And that’s what bothered him.

"Fighting won't get us anywhere." Sora calmly said as he tried to close the gap, but Roxas wouldn't let him get near. Roxas rubbed his face on his arm and crawled up on his feet. His keyblades fazed into light as he activated limit break. He probably would’ve looked more menacing if he had his organization coat on, but without it, Sora could see his cold angered glare full force. "You couldn't've done anything to save Axel if you were in my position. I can see where you're coming from, but Axel's not dead anymore, remember."

"You let him die in the first place! I thought you cared about all your friends equally. What if you had to choose between Riku, Kairi or me? Answer, Sora!" Roxas yelled angrily, running towards Sora and clashing his keyblades on top of the Kingdom Key and parrying off.

“Roxas, I understand-” Sora started to say, Roxas cutting him off yet again.

“How would you even BEGIN to understand what I’ve been through?!” Roxas said, activating Event Horizon and pillars of light spread out in all directions. Sora was too late to dodge, one of them gazing his arm. The action caused him to drop his keyblade and he fell to the ground.

“Because you showed me.” Sora said.

Roxas paused for a moment. “...”

“Roxas, you shared with me every single one of your memories, do you think I don’t know?” Sora winced, clutching his arm. “Every single time I close my eyes, I’m not here, I’m there on that ledge. I ledge all so familiar, yet so foreign and far away. It scares me Roxas, it frightens me, that maybe one day, that ledge won’t be there and the sweetness from my mouth will be gone forever. Everytime I close my eyes, I feel like crying, but I don’t know why. My mind can only think of someone, one person laughing with the sunset and… my heart… it hurts. After you gave me your memories in the dream world, I was more confused than ever before. I closed my eyes that night after the exam and what did I see…”

“I saw you, Roxas.”

Roxas clenched his fists around the keyblades in his hands then relaxed, calmly breathing out. “I did give you those memories, didn’t I… but that doesn’t mean you understand. Nobodies mimic emotions all the time using memories, Sora. Prove it to me you aren’t just manipulating me like the others.” He said seriously, an expression much like Saix’s on his face, Oathkeeper to the brunette’s throat.

Sora breathed heavily. Something deep inside was tugging at his heart, a clawed hand digging into it. The edges of his vision were going blurry, and the pain was immeasurable as it dug harder and harder into his being. He tried not to betray what he felt, but it was hard to not let a small gasp of pain slip through his lips as he talked. Looking up at the sapphire blue eyes of his Nobody, he thought he saw something, a twinkle so familiar, he couldn’t quite grasp what it was…

That when he realized something.

“I… I don’t need to, do I, Roxas? I can’t be sure, but… why Oathkeeper?” Sora asked, confused. Roxas’ keyblade drew back slightly for a moment, but then pressed harder.

“... What?!” Roxas said, his tone hostile and eyes narrowed.

“No… no no no… You don’t… You don’t remember her, do you?” Sora said, his face softening into concern. His face soon wore a saddened smile. “I guess that does explain why you’d be mad at me, it seems you have all the right to.” Roxas looked at Sora’s face, clearly for a moment. Why were those eyes, that expression, so… so… for a split-second a image of a friend saying goodbye flashed through his mind.

“Gah!” Roxas dropped his keyblades and clenched his head as a searing pain rang through it like before. He clenched his teeth and tried to stay upright as the feeling began to fade. It was all Sora’s fault he thought angrily.

As Sora shifted, Roxas again raised a keyblade at him. “Don’t move!” He said, breathing heavily and recovering from the migraine.

“Roxas… you need to…” Sora said gently. He raised his hand to try and stop the keyblade. He noticed now that the blade was shaking slightly, a soft jingling of metal echoing around. His hand slowly wrapped around the metal, making it still.

“Forgive yourself.”

Suddenly a female voice filled the empty void. Where Sora was standing was a teen raven-haired girl, black gloved hand wrapped around his keyblade. Her face was pale and innocent blue sparkling eyes were staring him right in the face. Her eyebrows were slanted a bit in concern, lips pursed.

_And this should’ve meant nothing to him._

Roxas stood there awestruck and confused, tears welling up in his eyes. His keyblades sparkled and disappeared, the stranger quietly stood up. She dusted off her long black coat and straightened it out.

“Oh Roxas, one of my precious boys.” She said with a small smile. It was brief, like the death of star, once given light to the world, now dead and an empty void in it’s place. Stunning, but oh how the world forgot it’s beauty.

“I want to feel it, I want to know this is real...” She said, sliding the gloves off her hands and letting them drop to the floor with a light thud. Her bare hands shakily reached up to his face and lightly clasped his cheeks. Roxas wanted to move away, but he was too stunned to move.

She smiled, an actual smile. One of relief, and joy and a thousand things her ‘heart’ could not put into words. A song she could not sing, lost on the wind. She closed her eyes and stopped the flow of happiness rushing through her as she rested her forehead on the blonde nobody’s.

“Roxas, I need you to let go.”

The words coursed through him as gears turned in his head as he tried to understand their meaning.

“Please.”

She pleaded softly, a voice so close yet so far away.

 “Who are you, you’re part of the organization!” He managed to gasp out, he raised his shaky hand to her arm. He wrapped his hand around her wrist and tried to bring it down. Her skin felt so cold, so lifeless, yet so soft under his fingertips.  

“There’s something you're keeping chained inside you, Roxas, and I need you to set it free. I can’t stand to see you suffer, because what I did was to hopefully help that torturous feeling stop.” She said slowly and calmly, the worry and unease and her voice towards him apparent. Yet, she stood firm, her stare unwavering.

“You can’t keep grasping for something that isn’t there, or the hurt will never stop and I don’t want that to happen.” She said. “Do you trust me, Roxas?”

Roxas bit his lip and his grip on her wrist gradually loosened until his arm fell slowly back to his side. He didn’t know her, yet why did her words carry so much weight? There was something in the back his head, feeding him thoughts and words. A voice nodding and pushing him forward.

He slowly bobbed his head up and down. “Yes.” he said, gulping down the lump in his throat. The black haired girl gave a small smile and closed her eyes, Roxas doing the same. In his mind, he saw it, a faded reel, a person with a blurry face constantly replaying over and over, tons of things he wish he had, but could never be. Roxas could see a version of himself chained against the wall, crying and never able to grasp whatever was there. The blonde walked over slowly and said in a tired voice as he came to coping with it.

“It’s time to stop.”

And suddenly, a pain seared through his heart, more than ever before as Roxas realized it had always been there… he’s just been too stubborn to admit it. So Roxas let go, for once in his life, and the pain mulled over with a gentle light, washing away the sadness like the fallen leaves in the rain. He couldn’t remember, but, for once in his life, he was okay with that. He’d finally found peace.

* * *

When Roxas opened his eyes and saw Sora standing in front of him, his own eyes somewhat more brighter than before. “You okay?” Sora asked, holding Roxas’ hands in between the two of them.

Roxas let out a deep breath as he relaxed. “Yeah.” He said with a smile. Sora sighed with relief and laughed a bit at seeing Roxas’ smile. For a moment, there was a calming silence between them with their hearts finally at rest.

“Roxas I-” Sora began to say, before being cut off to his surprise, by Roxas.

“Sora. It’s… it’s okay. I’m the one that should be apologizing… I… I’m sorry for lashing out like that.”

Sora nodded. He didn’t need to say anything, his feelings being conveyed through the warmth in his fingers as he stared down at them. He smoothed his thumb over the back of Roxas’ hand and looked back up at the nobody’s face.

And as he stared at those blue eyes, empty of worry or regret, for a moment, the young hero thought he could hear a faint voice whispering in his ear.

“Thank you.”

* * *

 

Kairi sat at Sora's bedside, staring out the window. She'd had to explain to Sora's mom a lot to calm her down and let herself stay. After pleading, Sora's mom finally gave in with a reluctant sigh.

Like a guardian, she watched over Sora's sleeping body. She saw his pained expressions, and the way he moaned, rolling over constantly. After putting on and fixing the covers for the 6th time, Kairi had sat down in her chair again and watched as he settled on his back, his body slowly relaxing and starting to breathe softly as his appearance started to change.

Kairi was startled at first, but relaxed after sensing that Sora's heart was healing. She could see the bruises on his legs (which Riku had caused after banging his unconscious body into the wall a couple of times on the way up to his room) slowly fade and heal, the colour returning to his peaceful face.

The line "my heart prefers to be that way" that had escaped Sora's lips the first time he revealed this secret had clued Kairi to what was going on. The things Hikari had said were a little strange. Sora had tons of friends, so why had Hikari said being that way made him feel less alone?

The red haired teen had pondered his words ever since, the question popping up again whenever she hang out with Sora. He never showed them that form since then, and it seemed nobody wished to talk about that day either.

Finally, while walking on the same sandy beach, Kairi couldn't hold it in any longer. "Hey Sora…" she said absentmindedly, staring at the sand. Sora turned his head in her direction, his arms placed behind his spikey brown hair. "Hm?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh never mind… just…" Kairi said, trying to find a way to word it correctly. "I've never seen you form Hikari again." She stared into his blue eyes, biting her lip in hesitation. Drat, that was horrible.

"Well, I just do it every night when I'm sleeping so you guys don't have to freak out again. It's hard to explain, but if I don't do it every so often, I don't feel so well." Sora said quietly, timidly blushing and avoiding his friend's eyesight. Kairi looked the other way, her face in a frown of shame. Sora smiled then his normal goofy smile. The smile that always assured her everything was going to be all right.

"It's okay, I don't mind." He said, catching her by surprise. Sora had sensed her worry, her doubts that she wasn't being the best of friend when she had reacted the way she did. Every thought in her head turned to wax and melted away in her head until she felt better, smiling. Sora just had a way of knowing what to do when anyone was in a slump. Kairi nodded.

She had seen his form once or twice since then, but it was certainly a rare exchange. Her mind moving back to the present, her once-smiling friend laying down in bed and hurting. She didn't know what happened between him and Roxas, and it didn't matter, just that her friend was happy and healthy again.

Kairi had been staring outside into the cold night for awhile now in silence, until she heard her friend murmur something. She turned her head to see Hikari, no, her friend, awake in a daze. His eyes were half open and tired, barely managing to stay awake. "Kai...ri?" He managed to say.

She smiled softly and pat his head gently. She could feel it in her fingertips that his heart had not healed yet. "Go back to sleep." She said kindly, stifling a yawn.

"But, you… need rest… too." He said drowsily, fighting the urge to close his eyes.

"I'll be fine. Please Sora, sleep." Kairi said. Her voice to him was a like a gentle lullaby, a soft tune weaving in and out of his ears, whispers of sleep on the wind. Giving up, he listened to her words, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep again.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Whisper chants in background* BROTP BROTP...


	3. That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Am I alone in here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After seeing the latest Steven Universe Bomb, with that beautiful “The Answer” episode, I thought of a funny little idea that in a AU Roxas gets his own body, Roxas and Sora can’t sleep in the same bed because they always wake up fused in the morning. I don’t know why I giggle at the idea. Just a funny little thought I might do an excerpt on if anyone’s actually reading this.

“Hey Sora… what do you think of my name?”  Roxas asked.

“Well, what do you mean, I think it’s a nice name I guess. It is technically also just my name with a “X” in it, so there’s that too.” Sora answered, a little confused at where the sudden question came from.

“That’s mostly why I’m asking. It was given to me by Xemnas and means I’m tied to the organization. Most of Organization 13 are the same as when they were without the “X”, but I guess they like their old names due to the whole Xemnas thing. I can’t use Sora because, unlike them, you and I have completely different lives.” Roxas responded.

“So what, you want me to start calling you ‘Sora’, now?” Sora said jokingly with a bit of a chuckle.

“That’s not what I meant!” Roxas said with a laugh before his voice grew quiet once more. “I mean… What are names anyway? Everyone says they're so important, but they're just letters strung in a certain order.”

After a moment of silence and thinking, Sora finally replied “Hey, Roxas, can you say my name?”

“Um… Sora?” Roxas answered, a bit confused

“Again.”

“Sora...?”

“That’s the reason.”

“....... I still don’t get it.” Roxas said.

“It doesn’t really matter to me specifically what a name is, Roxas, but the meaning behind it. I wouldn’t care if your name was Haru, Natsu, or whatever, X or not, just that when I say ‘Roxas’, I mean you, my other, a person special and close to my- our- heart, singled out of millions.” Sora said.

Roxas silently agreed with the other soul beside him. Sora would strangely be philosophical at one moment and a goofy child the next. He just didn’t know how his partner did it. It was Sora who spoke next.

“Hey Roxas, I wanna do it! For real this time.”

Roxas gave a confused look, seeing as his friend chose to broke the silence with _that_.

“What? You mean, fuse? Well, our heart is literally falling apart right now, so it’d be best to put the two pieces together again.” Roxas said.

“Yeah, but I actually wanna control what is happening. Up until this point, it’s pretty much been: were in close radius, we merge. But, I wanna actually do it, instead of it just _happening_.” Sora said emphasizing with his hands. Roxas chuckled.

“Do you even really know how it happens, Sora?” Roxas asked with a smile.

“...” Sora thought for a minute. “... Not really, I just know that it’s my heart reacting to being in physical contact with yours.”

“That’s why I like you, Sora. You follow your heart without question.” Roxas tapped his finger on Sora’s chest softly, causing the brunette to look down at it. The brief warm sensation of Roxas’ finger caused him to become tense and his heart to flutter at the touch.

"Uh yeah, so?" Sora said. Roxas moved in closer until he was pressing Sora against the invisible barrier that prevented them from falling off.

“But…” Roxas said, trailing off and staring into Sora’s eyes, well there they would be if Sora wasn’t avoiding looking at the blonde. Roxas smiled mischievously, putting his hand on Sora’s chin and leading his head to look at his own.

“It isn’t quite just your heart right now, is it?” Roxas said. Sora blushed for a moment before they both turned into figures of light and their hearts merged together, forms combining into one. Their stations of serenity began lacing back together and reforming, quickly becoming one platform again.

They stood there dazed for a minute, before snapping out of it. They put one hand to their face, then to the ends of their jacket, holding up the silver coloured fabric. “Looks like I’m back again.” he said. He immediately pressed his hands against his cheeks in frustration. “Then that means…”

 **I literally had NO control over that** Sora said in their head. **That is the opposite of what control IS.**

 _You could’ve pushed me away, but you didn’t_ Roxas sounded very pleased with himself, laughing a bit at Sora’s childish complaints. The other was silent for a minute, but Roxas could feel that he was incredibly embarrassed.

 **Yeah, well, you-** Sora was cut off by an incredible pain in their chest. For a moment, it stung before slowly fading away.

“Tch!” he said wincing, putting a hand to his chest as the heart immediately set to work healing the wounds, the cracks sealing up from the separation and any other damage caused being fixed. They immediately felt a wave of sleepiness wash over them, the focus on self-healing taking up most of their concentration.

“Whoa, okay, that’s happening.” He said, stumbling and catching their head with one hand. He looked at the palm of his other hand, clenching it and extending it. “We usually have so much energy in this form, so why…?” he trailed off, getting dizzy. He closed his eyes in order to try and focus, but it only proved to clear his head a little.

**_Maybe my heart’s not fully healed yet…?_ **

He pondered, falling to his knees.

Not having the energy to stay awake anymore, he collapsed on the ground and fell asleep.

* * *

 

It took awhile for the warmth to return to their chest. Roxas had noticed it first.

When he had joined his heart with Sora’s at Memory’s Skyscraper in the World That Never Was, that warmth was the first thing he felt. It was an odd feeling, having a heart, seeing as he didn’t know about having one for all of his life.

Roxas liked the feeling of knowing he actually had a heart, a warmth brimming inside them that was like the sky’s clouds finally giving way to the sun's light after a century of cold gloom. It was a nice feeling, the two of them putting their hand on their chest and nuzzling their legs closer, just to feel the soft rhythm beating under their skin.

Meanwhile, while Roxas was embracing this feeling, Sora felt another sensation entirely. It had started happening when they had merged like this. Sora's thoughts had gotten a little blurry, as if to numb the pain he felt.

A strange energy had started flowing through their limbs, a wave of icy water that coursed alongside their bloodstream and caused an uncomfortable aching that made Sora uneasy. It was like when he was lost to darkness after his sacrifice to save Kairi, it made him feel lost and empty, sore and too weak to move. Sora guessed it was just because he had rejected the thought of making amends with Roxas’ for so long, this was just the process his body would have to go through to heal.

Sora tried hiding this feeling, but when you share a heart with someone, it’s kind of hard to do. Roxas immediately sensed his other’s distress and tried to comfort him.

 _"Sora? Are you okay?"_ Roxas asked.

 **"Mmm... It... It hurts, Roxas, can't you feel it?"** Sora groaned.

_"No, I'm sorry, I can't. Maybe it’s because we're not fully synchronised, like we usually are."_

**“But usually it’s fine, our souls talking in our head like this.”**

Roxas thought for a moment. _“...... Hey Sora, could it be, we’re feeling what the other is feeling?”_

**“I’m sorry, you lost me on that.”**

_“Well, do you feel cold and lifeless? Like there’s no feeling at all?”_

**“Mh-hm.”** Sora said, trying to fight back the pain.

_“That… that is what a newborn Nobody feels like.”_

Being a newborn Nobody, means a body that is empty and incomplete. Until one day, in the darkness of their being, a spark is born, a new heart beginning to sprout, every new emotion and experience helping it grow until one day, the heart becomes full of life and light, or darkness if the owner goes down that path.

 **“I… had no idea…”** Sora said.

 _“Of course, Sora. You were too busy killing everyone off to stop and think about such trivial things. But I don’t blame you, I didn’t really like them that much if it makes you feel better.”_ Roxas said, a little bit of contempt in his voice. Sure, he hated the organization and what it’s purpose was, but (most) members were like a family, even if they all treated him like a little brother. He secretly cherished it, seeing as he had no memories of older siblings. Sora had an older brother away at college, but he couldn’t remember that.

 **“I’m sorry, really. I didn’t know they had hearts until after the fact.”** Sora said, regret in his voice, echoing in their head. **“Axel… no, Lea, he’s fine now, right?”**

 _“That still doesn’t change the fact he died,_ twice. _”_ Roxas said sadly, Hikari looking at their hands and clenching them. Roxas gave an audible sigh. _“But that’s in the past, right? Couldn’t do anything about it then, can’t do anything about it now.”_ Roxas’s voice was full of disappointment, a melancholy tone that given up on trying ages ago. A forced acceptance that had not fully healed the wound in his heart.

 **“Axel was your friend, right? Maybe we can go visit Lea sometime, after our heart fully heals.”** Sora thought back reassuringly.

 _“It’s okay, Sora, really. You need to learn that not everything can be solved by just interfering. There are things in life that can’t be changed by pushing them. The memories we had together, those were real and such powerful things can’t be destroyed so easily.”_ Roxas said. He wasn’t particularly blunt or emotional about it, just something that needed to be said.

“But-” Sora said.

 _“Sora, I know you feel guilty - partly because I can feel that guilt - but you need to know that there are some things that you just need to let go of. That’s one of the reasons I like you Sora, you just like helping people as if it’s second nature. But you can’t force a wound to heal, and one day, you yourself might get hurt if you try to force healing onto others that don’t you understand or not ready to be helped yet.”_ Roxas said softly.

Sora gave a defeated sigh inside their head. His Nobody was probably right on that front, and them sharing the same heart and emotions probably wasn’t helping him resist either.

 **“Okay, if it bothers you, I won’t talk about it, but if you want, I’m always here for you. Gosh, we’ve been so down lately, huh?”** Sora thought. Hikari tugged on the side of their mouth, letting their tongue slip out.

“We, I- need to do something in order to cheer us, well, um, me...” Hikari bowed his head for a moment in frustration,

**_All these nouns are so confusing! Like, were two people so it makes sense to use “us, we, our, etc” but in this state, were technically one person! In that case, It’s just me, then, right? Never really alone, but my own being… Kinda confusing in the grand scheme of things, isn’t it?_ **

Hikari said, laughing softly at the thought. Every time the two of them formed, their heart felt more and more normal, growing accustomed to it’s odd existence inside his chest. The two were just so perfect together, he wondered if those two were the only ones capable of such a feat, due to their special connection.

Hikari looked down at his hand, the limb wearing a combination of Sora and Roxas’ accessories, his flesh a blend of their two similar skin tones. It was weird, referring to the two as “them”, when in reality, all he could be _was_ them. Something inside him gave an aching feeling he didn’t want to face, something that confused him. He wasn’t quite Sora, but he wasn’t quite Roxas... he almost felt like something entirely new.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEAH FORCED STEVEN UNIVERSE REFERENCE YAY. I also (kind of) cleared up the nouns thing because people were having trouble. They mostly use “them, their” when they are not completely in sync and still have prominent voices, but “I, me” whenever they are completely in sync, two individual voices coming together to speak as one as Hikari’s thoughts. So I guess it kinda depends on the situation. Like french, sort of.


	4. Became

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff happens

 

Hikari had been sitting on the big station of serenity, the echoes of his thoughts a comfort in the endless abyss that seemed to go on forever beyond the pillar of light. In his confusion, something didn't sit right with him. Something inside… was hurting. It was subtle, a small pulse here and there, but he could feel it. He had assumed it was his heart still healing, but somehow, it was different.

"Oh, so back together again. That was surprisingly quick." The wicked voice returned. "Maybe you should take a lesson on how easy it is to merge if these two idiots can do it." It seemed to be poking fun at something, more specifically, someone. Hikari couldn't take any more of this… this _thing_. They had enough problems on their own and this guy was just adding to the discord. Hikari stood up and tensed his fists, Keyblades forming in them. He had had enough of this.

"Who are you talking to?!" He yelled out into the darkness. "It's obviously not us, then who is it?" He tried swinging his keyblade at the dark mist, but missed and hazily stumbled. He quickly regained balance and held his head which was pounding.

"Wouldn't you like to know..." The voice said with a wicked sneer. It was like a predator playing around with it's prey, showing little to no respect for the fusion fed up with all the nonsense. Suddenly, two heartless grew from out of the ground. Immediately, he set to work defeating them, and whacked them with his right keyblade. Of course, he had two keyblades, but Sora for the most part, only knew how to wield one. Then, four heartless appeared in their place.

He dispelled them clumsily, than eight heartless appeared. "What the heck?!" He said in confusion.

_They're multiplying, every time we kill one, twice as many appear._

Roxas thought. Sora realized this and they tried to defend more than attack.

**What should we do then?**

He thought to his partner.

_Well, if we kill them all off at once, at the same time, they might not come back. But…_

**But what? We can just use Event Horizon, right?**

_It's my attack, not yours. I don't know if we can do it together. Plus, it only creates four pillars, we need eight._

He glanced down at his two keyblades.

_**We do have two keyblades like I used to have even though I didn't, so it might work.** _

Their voices said, falling back into synchronization. He concentrated, the heartless gaining. He entered limit break and his keyblade become enveloped in a sort of laser light. "Here goes nothing." He swung the keyblades around in the air, then generated 4 pillars of light to beam out of him twice. He looked around to see all the heartless were in fact gone.

_**That was easier than expected.** _

They thought, breathing heavily. He leaned on his knees. His heart was not yet healed and he needed rest. Lazily, he layed down on the once again full Station of Serenity. The pain in his chest subsided as his breathing slowed. He closed his eyes, falling into sleep.

* * *

The heart was beating soundly in his chest. His mind was in a sluggish state as he drifted slowly and quietly. His heart had almost healed completely, the longer they stayed together, the more strength returned. It felt like an eternity had passed, but he still felt alive and warm to a certain degree. He surely wouldn't feel this way if he wasn't Sora and Roxas, the two complimenting each other and making him never alone, even in the darkest abyss, always having the other to lean on.

_Sora_

The voice echoed in their head.

**Hm? Yeah Roxas?**

_That… that wasn't me._

**Do you think that voice has returned?**

_I hope not._

Roxas replied, almost sarcastically. He was mostly tired of this voice, it causing more of an annoyance than threat.

_Roxas._

The voice called out.

 _Oh perfect, it knows my name too_.

Roxas groaned.

_Or maybe not? Haha. You're really shy aren't_ _**you** _ _?_

The voice said with a small laugh. It wasn't mean or undermining, or filled with ridicule, but sounded like it was the first time they had actually laughed in years.

_What do you mean? Stop beating around the bush and be forward about it._

Roxas barated, growling a bit. He hated being toyed with.

_If you two keep going on a whim like this, I can't say the end result will be favorable. For the better of both of you, I ask that you please decide. If you go on, don't say nobody tried to stop you or convince you otherwise._

The voice almost sounded like a plea, a sadness underlying every word. On the other hand, the longer the voice went on, the more Sora and Roxas were confused. The voice just gave a dry laugh, giving up and not really expecting any different response. At least he had tried to save them.

_Well, I guess it's time to wake up._

The voice said calmly, delicate with it's words. Suddenly, his heart felt a great big light inside it, glowing and radiating like a sun. His limbs felt like someone breathed life into them, a bright energy bursting through his body like a burning flame. His heart had finally healed, and it felt great to be healthy once more. He yawned and stretched his arms, nice and refreshing to finally be at full speed again.

It's not like he could get mad at himself for what had happened, seeing as he was the embodiment of Roxas' and Sora's love for eachother, to hate himself would be hating the two hearts that made his own shine so brilliantly. He was always unafraid to be himself, because of the same reason. And since he portrayed the happiness the two felt for being together, he was always positive and kind, choosing to be nice to himself and others.

_**Yay! Were all done! Well, maybe not all done, we might need to rest some more.** _

He thought for a moment, twirling Sora's necklace chain around his finger.

_**We should probably tell Riku and Kairi were all better first, though. And let's not forget our mom, oh gosh… she's never seen us like this, has she?** _

He looked down at his hands. He still needed some time until he could unmerge, his heart had healed for the most part, but not necessarily stable. He didn't even know if their hearts would be fine after the whole ordeal, they were definitely much weaker separated, so staying in this merged state was probably best for their condition. This wasn't good. Not good at all.

* * *

"So, I'm stuck in my room." Hikari said, sitting up against his bedroom door, phone pressed to his face. It'd been a few days since he initially fell asleep, he had just woken up and after finally summoning the strength to get out of bed, he'd called his two best friends. She was confused at first because of the difference in his voice, but she quickly adjusted.

"Too chicken to show your face?" Riku answered with a chuckle in the split three way call.

"I'm not chicken. That's not the point here." Hikari said in stressed tone "The fact she didn't come into my room while I was asleep is a god send all of itself."

"I'm only teasing, Sora." Riku said. "You need to calm down a bit." Hikari sighed, taking a deep breath. With a bit of hesitation on Roxas' part, he relaxed his shoulders and untensed a bit.

"Okay." Hikari said. "But still, what do I do if my mom comes-"

"Sora, are you up?!"

He could hear his mom walking up the stairs.

_**Oh F- Wait, this is disney, dangit.** _

Hikari sat there completely silent, praying that she wouldn't try and come in. She tried the doorknob, but he pressed his body against the door harder. "Sora?" She said in a concerned tone. It made him feel guilty he had to lie to her, knowing how much she cared for him.

"Must be sleeping," she said, giving up and walking away "that's no excuse to block the doorway though, he really needs to clean his room…" Hikari silently sighed from relief as her footsteps faded away.

"So what now, Sora? You can't keep this up forever." Kairi said. She was right, and all of them knew it. "Why don't you try going back to normal? It might be okay now." She proposed.

Hikari nodded with a faint murmur of agreement. He closed his eyes and Roxas slowly retracted from the state they were in and shifted to being an echo in Sora's heart. Sora was relieved that it didn't hurt, but it did twist a little in his chest.

"I think I'm alright." Sora winced into the receiver, Kairi giving out a sigh of relief on the other end.

"Hey, you know you can come to us if you're not okay, right? Sounds silly saying this to you." Kairi giggled. She twirled her straight red hair nonchalantly around her finger. Most would say they were an odd group, two guys and one girl. Why Kairi hadn't made closer friends with her own gender, she didn't know. Sure, Selphie was nice and was always there to understand her more female problems, but Sora and Riku were just more happier to be around.

Meanwhile, Riku mostly stayed silent, eyebrows slightly furrowed. Trouble clouded his radiant turquoise eyes, glancing off random objects in his room. He began to cough, entering back into the conversation once again.

"Sora, I'm just a bit concerned you might turn into something you're not coming away from it all. I'm not really happy about this, but I'm trying to still be supportive, okay? Just don't get hurt." Riku said with a sigh. He couldn't tell Sora not to do it, but he might as well be safe in the process.

"I understand." Sora said quietly, tightening up. He hated the weight on the silver headed teen's voice. It was out of concern for him, and that confliction meant a lot to him as one of the people Riku trusted most.

"My mom is calling me for dinner." Kairi said sadly, hating to leave the conversation on such a serious note. Why did everything have to be so dark nowadays? They were finally back together, the sun had finally rose above the horizon only to sink back into the ground again.

"Okay, see you later Kairi, Riku." Sora said with a nod.

"Bye guys." Riku said before pressing the END CALL button on the phone and putting the device. Riku put his head in his hand, stressed out from the situation before him. He closed his eyes, whispering to himself one last hope, a small plea escaping his lips "At least, I hope it's you I see, Sora."

 


	5. Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN: wELL I REPUBLISHED THIS FROM THE ORIGINAL UPDATE WITH MORE CONTENT. THIS IS NOW CANON. SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cinnamon roll meets Sinamon roll.

Sora’s eyes opened on his station of serenity. Lately, he’d been coming to this place often more than he’d ever thought he would. This was the place he first learned about his power and the place he first met Roxas formally. The soft glow from the mysterious pillar brought an odd sense of comfort to him, lightly petting his skin.

By now he’d have met with Roxas and fused their hearts, but for some reason, Roxas wasn’t here. He felt this clawed hand on the tips of his heart, digging in with a painful hold that wouldn’t let go, a shadow hovering over it. The pain was at a minimum, but he knew that presence was just drawing nearer.

 _“Why don’t you just turn and face me already?”_ came a voice from behind. Sora turned around to see someone around his height in all black, a helmet covering their head and a black skirt coming out from his back waist. There were red vines covering his suit, almost like a network of veins, pumping blood through him.

“Huh?” Sora said. He’d never seen anybody besides Roxas on his Station of Serenity.

"Right, I forgot how much of an idiot you all are." The male said, rolling his bright yellow eyes behind his mask. His mouth slowly grew into a wicked smile. “Let’s see how weak you really are.”

Out of nowhere, he dashed at Sora in an amazing blur of speed, hitting him in the back with Void Gear. He leapt back as Sora stumbled forward, surprised. “What? Can’t handle a little puny hit?” He said with a snicker.

Sora summoned his own keyblade and rushed at him. “Too slow.” Vanitas said unapologetically, avoiding the attempt and retaliating by hitting Sora’s side in a quick dash.

“Who… who’re you?” Sora said, trying to regain strength. This guy was fast.

“Tch. A weakling such as you shouldn’t speak.” Vanitas said, narrowing his eyes in disgust. Sora gave a faint growl and lunged at his attacker. He managed to hit Vanitas this time, and, in surprise, he stumbled and the two bonked heads.

Vanitas realized his form was weak and he immediately had his form dispel, darkness shattering into the air. Sora’s eyes widened in shock, but had no time to stand still as the darkness immediately shot at him.

Vanitas’ darkness shot into his throat, causing him to gasp and choke as it forced it’s way inside. He fell to his knees as he forcibly swallowed it, sending pain through his chest as he put his hands around his neck. He coughed up blood from his body rejecting the process, the darkness latching onto his heart.

Darkness started to form around his body, traveling from the feet up. “Grrr…” Sora growled, moving his head up to try and prevent the darkness from conquering his head. It’s useless, stop being more pathetic than you already are. His voice taunted, settling into the back of Sora’s mind. Rapidly, it grew onto his face, much to his annoyance, covering up his eyes, making everything go black.

* * *

They woke up drowsily, their hearts still clumsily fusing together. Their chest hurt as their opposing traits clashed together for dominance and refused to settle. “Ugh…” they moaned, head ponding after the two had knocked heads before.  

For the most part, physically, they looked like Sora, for the exception of a left yellow eye. It seemed they were wearing a black long sleeved and unzipped hoodie, a network of a red vein-like design akin to the mysterious stranger’s decorating the piece of clothing. Sora pants seemed to be the same in their black state, with the exception of a weird unseen symbol on the right leg. Not much could be said for shoes, because it seemed that they were barefooted and wore nothing knee-down. They wiggled their exposed toes and wrinkled their nose in displeasure.

 **No shoes? What’s up with that?** Sora thought, confused.

If you hadn’t hit me, we wouldn’t be in this mess.Vanitas snarled back in reply. Vanitas’ uncalm nature already unsettled Sora, but with it literally being in his head, it made the world feel a lot smaller. The other keyblade wielder was already full of darkness, making it an even more suffocating experience.

 **You’re the one that attacked first! Also, would you please just stop trying to take control already?** Sora snapped back, finding it difficult to retain consciousness with Vanitas’ half constantly trying to devour his own. Oh great, now he was angry too, this situation just got better and better.

Woah, the little puppy wants some freedom? Too bad.  Vanitas laughed sadistically. Maybe this little ball of sunshine would finally snap and he’d swallow both their hearts whole.

Sora sighed, trying to calm down.

 **Let’s just get up.** Sora thought. Vanitas didn’t seem to object as their new form started to get up, legs weak and frail, barely supporting their weight. Stumbling a bit, they managed to stand somewhat.

 **Okay, so we should probably take it slo-** Sora’s thought was cut off as they attempted to take a step forward, but ended up running at full speed and crashing into the invisible barrier that prevented them from falling off.

 **Ow! What the heck?!** Sora thought.

Oh, did you not want to go screaming fast? Oops. Vanitas said in a tone that faked sincerity. Sora gave a low growl in their head and attempted to take a step forward again. This time, he went speeding towards the other side of the pillar. In an effort to stop, Sora tried placing their foot in a position to try and halt their movement, instead, their weight shifted onto it and ended up breaking it. Their eyes widened in the realization and they crashed to the ground, side slamming into the hard glass.

Sora started to panic at the sudden pain filling their foot as Vanitas laughed unapologetically.

 **Why are you laughing, you just broke our foot!** Sora said, not able to fully fathom the situation.

No, _you_ broke our foot, I was trying to show you how fast the limit is. Vanitas replied. His laughter died out as Sora attempted to ignore him and the incredible stinging in their foot. They clenched their fists and let out a wince of pain, trying and failing to push off of the ground.

Get up already, I can’t stand how weak you make this fusion. You’re what’s weighing us down.Vanitas growled in disgust at their pathetic state.

 **I’m trying! I’m not used to this, okay? Usually I have potions or something.** Sora replied. At the thought, a dark mist started to gather around their skin, outlining their body. Slowly, it traveled down and wrapped around the broken foot, leaving a black bandage in it’s place. The weird mist vanished as the pain slowly faded. Surprised, they tried moving their foot, the pain all but gone.

What?  Vanitas said in disbelief.

Steadily, they brought their foot forward, and carefully stood up. They jumped a little in place, shifting weight between their feet. Their foot had completely healed.

 **So the weird healing thing isn’t your ability, then?** Sora asked.

No, I just shrug it off, because I’m not a whimp.Vanitas said, analysing the situation. Vanitas’ normal body was made of complete darkness, which was why we had the capacity to fuse so well: all he had to do was hook onto a person’s light or heart and forcibly assimilate with it, essentially cramming into a person’s body and taking control. This was Sora’s body undeniably, that’s how it worked, but for some reason Sora had managed to stay in somewhat control and accommodate his darkness. Sora’s heart knew that he was complete darkness, yet it had somehow made room for it? It was like the only reason Sora’s clothes had changed was to better aid and host Vanitas’ presence.

When Vanitas had taken over Ventus, it was like he’d crammed himself into the same seat on the bus as him, giving him no room to breathe. With Sora, it was like there were tons of freakin’ seats empty and if all were occupied, he’d somehow come up with a way for everybody to sit, going as far as making a new seat if necessary.

Vanitas summoned the mysterious mist into their hand, looking at it. It was a weird mismash of his darkness and bits of Sora sprinkled in it, almost undetectable. It was the substance Unversed were made of, but unable to form now because of those tiny traces.

They held up their arm and summoned Void Gear in their other hand. The form was unstable, but it was good enough. Vanitas used it to slash his arm, their body wincing a bit.

 **What’re you-** Sora said.

Shut up for a minute, I’m doing something.  Vanitas snapped back.

Void Gear shattered and they watched blood start to trickle down their skin.

 **Why’d you wound us again? It hurts!** Sora said, annoyed. Sure enough, the mist started gathering again and traveled across their body and started to group around the wound. The mist filed into the wound, turning into flesh to stop the blood. The rest of the weird substance gathered around the blood until it disappeared. After the wound was healed, the mist slowly started retreating back into their chest and there was a slight glow before it was completely absorbed.

Vanitas shifted uncomfortably, feeling the rampant mist settle back with him. He growled a bit at the tiny bits of Sora still thriving in the pieces, but decided they’d be assimilated with his much powerful darkness sooner or later.

It seems that our foot isn’t really healed, it’s just my darkness is replacing the broken bone, as a sort of fix.  Vanitas said.

 **Does that mean when we unfuse, my foot will be broken again?** Sora said.

Possibly.  Vanitas replied with a small snicker. He was more worried about how this anomaly had happened. It was his _darkness_ after all.

Sora gulped. They attempted to take a step forward, and Sora gave a sigh of relief when their body didn’t immediately speed forward. He tried taking another step, only to go whizzing into a wall.

 **Could you stop that?** Sora said, their body giving a groan.

Maybe when you stop being so pathetic.  Vanitas said, causing their body to go running into another barrier. Just as he was about to do it again, their body put out their legs, causing friction against the glass and them to slide to a halt.

Their face smirked a little, showcasing Sora’s small victory. Vanitas snarled and summoned Void Gear in their left hand to only have it shatter. He tried summoning it again, to no avail.

What the heck?  Vanitas growled. He then snarled, realizing something.  Of course, your keyblade is affiliated with light and mine with darkness so it seems they won't come due to our different natures. Just try. 

Sora took that as a challenge and tried reaching out their hand. He slowly put it down after multiple attempts and nothing happening.

 **I wouldn’t be like this if you just left.** Sora said.

Vanitas scoffed. Because he was too weak at the moment by himself, he needed someone to latch onto, and Sora just happened to be the only one near. He usually would’ve reigned dominant, but for some reason, Sora still had half control over their heart.

Speaking of that, their heart was another mess entirely, Vanitas’ darkness constantly trying to eat away at Sora’s light and Sora somehow managing to put up a fight. It was so annoying, having a weakling winning against him, and it’s positive emotions constantly trying to mix in with his negative ones. Vanitas felt his strength returning bit by bit oddly enough, but it still wasn’t enough to reign independently.

Bored, their body plopped down on the glass, their legs making a sort of “W” shape as they sat on them. Looking at the picture, it portrayed both Vanitas’ and Sora’s sleeping faces. Slowly coming to a realization, Sora pulled on the edge of their hood as if to further cover their face.

 **Wait. I have to wake up at some point. Leave my body already!** Sora said.

No way that’s happening, your heart is the only thing keeping me alive right now and there’s no way I’m separating with a chance of me dying.  Vanitas snickered, his darkness grasping harder onto their heart to prove a point. Their body gasped and Sora clenched their - mostly his - chest in reaction.

“Please… stop…” Sora gasped, face wincing in pain. Even though Vanitas and Sora shared the same heart, it was still Sora’s body, meaning that he had most control over what it could do.

Just accept it, I’m gonna be here and there’s nothing you can do.  Vanitas said, laughing sadistically.

As they were twitching in pain, tendrils of mist came from the outer rim of the pillar and shot at him from the void. They climbed into his chest, his heart absorbing all the darkness the unknown had to offer. After the mist stopped, his heart expelled a wave of light, knocking Vanitas’ darkness off balance. Vanitas was displeased.

What?  he growled. Somehow Sora’s heart had managed to convert darkness into light by absorbing it all. No, Vanitas was thinking about it wrong. _Their_ heart managed to convert darkness into light. Vanitas’ darkness was left unchanged, but it had shaken him off and had strangely weakened him.

 **Huh?** Sora thought, unaware of what exactly just happened. Whatever it was, it had made him exponentially tired.

It seems our heart is able to convert excess darkness into light.  Vanitas snarled.

 **That means I can just turn you into light, and make you good?** Sora said hopefully.

Haha, you wish. In this state, I take up the role of our darkside or our literal darkness, there’s no changing that. Our body needs me in order to survive. I feed off of our heart as much as it “feeds” off of me. I am a foundation for a heart just as much as light is, so it can use me however it likes, It may turn my darkness into power or light to sustain itself if the rare occasion ever occurs, but I can sometimes use it’s own light, converting our light into darkness for me to grow stronger. Our heart just has a weird habit of taking darkness in that isn’t me, which ticks me off. It seems to be only in situations where we're in extreme pain, otherwise it just depends on me if darkness is ever needed. Vanitas explained. He extended their arm slightly, and a small tendril of darkness grew from their chest and entwined around it. He turned his arm slowly, the mist softly twisting across skin.  This is my essence, my very being, otherwise known as, our darkness. 

It slowly retracted back into their chest as Vanitas snickered at Sora’s silence.  You can’t get rid of darkness completely, Sora, didn’t your precious master teach you that? 

* * *

Sora’s eyes slowly shifted open as the sun streaming in from the window hit them. He could still feel the dark entity he had met before, lurking in their heart like a parasite. He slowly rolled over onto his side before sitting up. He stood up and started walking forward before walking too fast and slipping on the rug. He fell to the floor, scraping his chin as he made impact.

Immediately, he could feel the weird mist crawling from his chest and healing his wound as Vanitas' cruel laughter filled his ears. "Could you maybe _not_ injure me for once?" Sora said in annoyance. Sure, he was healed, but that didn't mean he couldn't feel pain.

Maybe you should not be such a pathetic loser who cries over a wimpy scar.  Vanitas said in a snarky comeback.

Sora rubbed his chin as he stood up, the wound healed. The mist returned to his chest, Vanitas' darkness shifting a bit inside them in order to absorb back the remnant. Sora furrowed his eyebrows; it always felt weird whenever the darkness moved inside him, it was an unsettling feeling and that sent a shiver down his spine.

He looked over at his reflection in the mirror, pulling off his hood to get a better look at his face. He looked all round the same, not as different as when he was Hikari with blonde hair and the like, but his time, he had one yellow eye that almost looked like it was glowing.

"How am I gonna hide that?" Sora said, crossing his arms at his reflection.

Just because I don't want your light buddies freaking out...  Vanitas said with a sigh. The mist traveled up from his chest again and filed into his iris, changing it to a nice blue colour.

"Thank you... um, I never got your name." Sora said, placing his arms behind his head.

And I don't plan on telling you.  Vanitas said back. He couldn't risk Sora blabbing to the king or wizard.  Tell anybody about me and I'll squeeze our heart to death, even if it takes me in the process. That way I'll kill that other idiot too. 

"Huh, who?" Sora said. His question was left unanswered as a voice cut through his room.

"Sora, breakfast!" His mom called from downstairs.

Sora scrambled out of his room, bumping into the wall a few times on the way. His staircase lead straight into the kitchen, where his mom had set up food.

He sat down and was about to dig in before his mom stopped him.

"Uh-uh, what do we say." His mom said.

He rolled his eyes with a small grunt of annoyance. "Thank you." He said unenthusiastically.

"Sora? Could we please try this again, without the attitude?" She pursed her lips. Sora wasn't usually like this.  

"Thank. You." Sora gritted through his teeth and forced smile.

"Okay..." She said unconvinced and turned back to stuff cooking on the stove.

Sora scoffed, before freezing in place.

 **Did... Did I just say that?!** Sora said, coming to the realization of his actions.

I didn't know short term memory was an idiot thing, but if it is, you're absolutely succeeding. Vanitas said, laughing at Sora's distress.

 **Why'd I snap? She's my mom for Pete's sakes!** Sora thought, holding his head in his hands.

I'm not just darkness, this is my heart just as much as it is yours. That means our body and personality also has my traits, hence the awesome speed.Vanitas thought back with a smirk.

 **I wish you'd just leave. I don't want to hurt my mom again.** Sora thought with concern.

Not gonna happen.Vanitas snapped back.

 **I can't summon a keyblade either, how am I going to go on missions or train?** Sora thought. This situation was really beginning to look hopeless.  

Not my problem. Vanitas thought back.

 **Well then-** Sora's thought was cut off by Vanitas taking a fork and stabbing the back of their hand under the table.

Sora winced and tried to hold back a gasp of pain as he didn't want to alert his mother. He looked up at her, still occupied with waiting for her coffee to brew.

Blood started trickling out as Sora attempted to pull the fork from the flesh, pain searing through his hand. Managing to pry it out, he let out a small grunt. Darkness started to file out of his chest, traveling beneath his hoodie to fix his wound. He started to see the mist wrapping around the wound and glanced up at his mom. She turned around and leaned against the kitchen counter, sipping on a fresh cup of coffee.

"Where'd you get that hoodie?" She asked. She bought all of his clothes and she certainly didn't buy him something like that. Well, not all of them. Apparently he got some from "fairies".

"Um, I'm borrowing it from Riku." Sora lied, putting his hood on to guiltily hide his lying eyes. He'd forgotten he was wearing this weird outfit. Sora could tell it was simply swimming in darkness, but his mom had no way of knowing that.

"Uh-huh." His mom said, still unconvinced. She sighed and placed her cup back down on the counter, steam coming up from it's hot liquid.

Sora hated to lie to his mom but he hated this unknown entity resting inside him even more. Usually it was suffocating, but he felt that his chest had untensed a bit and didn't hurt as much as before. Maybe his body was adapting or something, he didn't know. He swung his bare feet nonchalantly, thinking to himself. How long would he have to be like this?

* * *

Sora didn't know why he liked to be barefeet. His shoes had disappeared when he had consumed Vanitas' darkness and all of his clothes had been layered with it.

He couldn't really control the sudden bursts in speed, but when he was on the beach, sun against his skin and sand on his feet, he felt exhilarated, free as if he was the wind itself.

Coming up to a tree, he managed to come to a safe stop.  Tch  . Vanitas giving an audible disapproval.  My speed is not for non-combative uses. 

**And ramming me into a wall is a combative use?** Sora thought back, raising an eyebrow.

It's my ability, not yours. I can do whatever I want with it, on the other hand you're just borrowing it. Vanitas said with a small growl. He hated sharing his abilities with a weakling who had no capacity to use them. Ventus also had the ability, but Sora didn't need to know that.

Sora smirked and tried walking, but tripped, scraping his hand. "Oof!" He gasped, making impact with the ground.

Oh look, it’s your face in the dirt, with the rest of the filth.  Vanitas said with a snicker.

"Ugh." He groaned, sitting up. He heaved himself onto his feet, mist already tending to the wound. Proceeding to lose his balance, he attempted to lean up against a tree with his wounded hand and accidentally created a dark corridor, falling through it.

“Whoa!” Sora stumbled in the Twix'n Between, managing to regain his balance. He stood up straight and looked around at the corridor twirling around him.

“How’d I get here?” He said. Only Organization members had access to these corridors.

I don’t know, but without any weapon to defend ourself, we should probably leave and find a exit.  Vanitas said. Sora had somehow used his darkness to open one of these up, the way he’d been able to travel between worlds so efficiently.

Sora himself could feel the tingling of the darkness in his clothes being disturbed by the corridor, the odd fabric squirming to try and hide his light from outside forces. Vanitas rolled his eyes. It was a good thing he was embedded in them, like Donald or Goofy when the brunette was in valor form, it meant he could at least protect his weak vessel until he was independant again. Sora might’ve known a thing or two about light, but in the darkness, Vanitas had all the other mindless creatures bowing down to him.

A rogue nobody approached the young keyblade wielder, moving in a weird manner as if it’s limbs were rubber and elastic. Vanitas expressed audible annoyance at the petty creature, one he would’ve mercilessly slayed if it weren’t for his less than enjoyable situation. Sora slowly backed up, trying to avoid a battle.

Vanitas’ darkness started gathering around Sora like a hostile aura, flaring dangerously at the nobody as if to say _“Back off”_ , a dog growling and baring it’s teeth as if to scare off a predator.  Go away, he’s mine.  Vanitas hissed angrily at the nobody, Sora not being able to hear the threat. The nobody stiffened before fearing Vanitas’ presence and slithering away.

“W-what did you do?” Sora said nervously. Vanitas scoffed. He didn’t want this idiot to think he was helping him to be nice.

It doesn’t matter, just move already. Vanitas thought to the brunette. Sora stood there for a moment, wondering where the exit might be. Inside, his heart started to pulsate at something, tugging him in a certain direction. Not arguing, Sora followed the weird feeling to see where it might lead, deeper into the corridor of darkness.

* * *

When Sora had reached the exit, he could feel Vanitas shying away inside him, burying away deep within his heart. He wasn’t as prominent or overwhelming like this, his heart stretching and expanding in order to hide the unwanted invader.

“What are you doing?” Sora asked, shifting uncomfortably.

You’ll see once you get to the other side of the door. Vanitas replied with a sigh.

Sora raised an eyebrow and walked through, finding himself at the Mysterious Tower, where Master Yen sid resided. Yen Sid probably would’ve been able to get rid of this parasyte sooner, but he didn’t want to risk it. Sora bit his tongue, approaching the tower’s doors. He reached out and hesitated.

 **Is it because Master Yen Sid’s tower blocks out any darkness?** Sora thought to the black raven haired boy.

Precisely, but it seems I can just mask my presence with your light and your original darkness, if I do that, it’ll seem like I’m not even there.Vanitas thought back with a smirk, further burrowing himself beneath Sora’s light. It wasn’t hard to do, especially since their heart instinctively hiding him.

Sora frowned for a moment before opening the handle. He was immediately met with his two friends coming out. “Hey Sora, so you finally woke up, you sleepyhead!” Kairi said with a smile.

Riku nodded.

“I’m starting to think you sleep more than the two of us.” The silver haired master said with a chuckle. The two of them walked past Sora out into the grass area that sat in front of the tower. Riku summoned his Way to the Dawn and Kairi summoned her own keyblade as well.

“C’mon Sora, duel with us!” Kari called out cheerfully, waving at him. If the situation was normal, Sora would be more than happy to, but unfortunately, he couldn’t summon his keyblade.

“I think I’ll just sit this one out.” He said, shying away and sitting on a nearby bench. “You two seem more than capable.” He put on a smile as if to try and reassure them.

“When push comes to shove, you really can’t take it, Sora.” Riku said jokingly. Vanitas growled, and Sora could feel his darkness squirming under his skin, starting to slowly poor out of his chest. All these negative thoughts dangerously swimming in his mind, and he couldn’t contain Vanitas’ essence that much longer. It took effort to not let the murderous aura spill out.

 _“Calm down.”_ Sora whispered through his teeth, clenching his fist. It was hard not to snap back at Riku or not attack him for that matter. Whatever this darkness was, it was extremely violent.

“Hm?” Riku said, looking down at Sora’s legs. “Why aren’t you wearing any shoes?”

Sora had relaxed a bit and looked down at his bare feet, blushing with embarrassment and avoiding his friend’s eyes. “They um, just slow me down.” He replied, fidgeting in his seat.

“Never had the need for speed before.” Kairi said, giggling. She looked up at Riku and he nodded back at her, both getting stern faces as they formed battle stances. Keyblades clashed in a blur of metal and clinging, Sora watching at the side lines.

Tch. Is that the best those two can do?Vanitas said in his usual bitter tone. Sora noticed Vanitas had for the most part calmed down, the mist retracting back into his skin. The mist felt writhing with anger, simply overflowing with hatred, feelings that did not sit right with Sora.

 **What the literal heck! Riku was just joking!** Sora exclaimed in their head.

Just seeing those two… the resemblance… it ticks me off.  Vanitas growled, anger building inside their heart.

 **Well could you cool your jets? I don’t think I can handle much more of this.** Sora’s body had tensed up as he attempted to resist the pulsating urge inside him to strangle his friends. An urge, mind you, he did not like having.

Why the hell should I care? As long as I survive, it doesn’t matter what influence I have.Vanitas said with a scoff.

 **And you might blow your cover if you don’t stop feeding me so much hate!** Sora snapped.

Vanitas snarled and shut up. Sora’s chest was twisting in ways he didn’t know were possible, his pain escaping onto his face.

“Hey Sora, are you okay?” Riku asked, out of breath. The two had been fighting but seemed to be pausing for the time being, eyes focused on Sora. Sora's eyes widened at the sudden attention.

"Nothing, I just trained extra hard yesterday, so I'm extremely tired." Sora said with a weak nod.

Lie, lie, LIE. Your so pathetic, Sora.Vanitas spat from the back of his head.

Kairi and Riku exchanged glances. Both of them were probably guessing this was a Hikari thing.

"Do you need help home?" Riku offered.

Sora nodded, standing up. He wasn't too keen on traveling through the dark corridors again. Walking along the path, he stumbled, and Sora tried to grab onto the nearest thing to stabilize his balance. He caught onto Riku’s arm, and immediately, the two felt a shock, Sora’s darkness rushing into Riku.

For a moment, Sora didn’t look exactly like Sora. He had black hair and piercing yellow eyes, a black muscle-like suit around his body. As the brief image faded, Riku’s vision pulsated and was replaced by a unclear young blonde, a boy he had a feeling he had met before, a boy he didn’t think he knew the name of. A name of another person that Sora was tied to came to mind, but he immediately dismissed it.

Looking at the blurry image, the almost unrecognizable boy seemed to look discouraged, almost sad. All he said in the haze, was a few simple words.

_Please… help him._

And just like that, the boy and image were gone and he was standing back at Yen Sid’s tower. Sora had pulled his hand away and was looking at Riku concerned. “R-riku? You okay?” Sora asked. Riku looked down at his friend. It seemed like he hadn’t seen the weird vision, whatever it meant.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Riku said with a convincing smile, keeping a bit of distance from his friend. Kairi giggled, running up beside them.

“Can’t forget about me! You're not planning to leave me behind, are you?” Kairi teased. The three of them laughed as they got further away from the tower.

As Sora walked together with his two friends, Vanitas gave an audible grunt of disgust.  Always depending on your friends? Truly you are a weakling. Vanitas scoffed.

Sora was silent a moment before replying.

**At least I have some.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An: OOOOOOOHHH BURNNNNNN. GET DUNKED ON VENTUS PARALLEL STYLE. Vani, you must be a real jerk to not get along with literally one of the most compatible characters out there. Hopefully Sora survives, and Roxas is not dead or something idk XD Anyways, that aside, Vanitas doesn't wear shoes. Sure they look like shoes, but his body is literally darkness, an image. A face but no skin. I guess the bare feet thing is supposed to a nod to Ventus, because I always imagine him to be free, runing through long grassy fields, like the wind on a nice day. Really, Vanitas' speed does originate from Ventus, so there's that little bit of influence on Sora's form. NOW, FAST Q&A GOOOO!  
> 1.Basically, the mist, is what Unversed would be, but can't form because of Sora's light.  
> 2\. And no, even if Vanitas and Sora share a heart, Vani can't hurt Ventus, mainly because of Sora.  
> 3\. No, it is not a perfect fusion like Hikari, more like ½ or less so of what Hikari fusion is, because it a majority of it is Sora’s actions, Sora’s physical appearance, only with Vanitas’ abilities and a little bit of Vanitas actually controlling Sora’s body. (And not a lot of trust, an element which is honestly one of the best parts to write tbh)  
> 4\. “Their, them” in this case wouldn’t be a correct pronoun 100% of the time, since I guess it differs between situation, because a perfect fusion between the two of them would have lots of differences and be done on different terms. It’s mainly, yes they share the same heart, but Vanitas’ role majorly is being their body’s darkness. So, “them” if your refering to the two of them, “him” if your refering to either individually.  
> 5\. Vanitas has a heart. It’s canon. Go re-play BBS.  
> 6\. For the Steven Universe fans, Sora’s dance style would be the waltz. (Aye, I’m looking at you KH2 Halloween Town.) My theory is that his mom made him take dance lessons when he was little, so he wears bigger shoes over his dance ones so that any time the lessons would actually be useful, he’d have them at the ready.  
> ANYWAYS, THERE ARE SET RULES I HAVE WRITTEN DOWN AND IT’S SORTA CONFUSING IK BUT I HOPED THAT ANSWERED QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. If not, PM me or leave a question in a review, I’ll try to answer it.


	6. -Fluff-

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas and Sora try to sleep. (NOT CANON. SIDE STORY)

"C'mon, sleep with me." Sora said, patting the bed beside him. He said it innocently enough, but Roxas still stood, unconvinced.

"People don't usually sleep in the same bed, Sora. Back in the organization, I had my own room and bed." Roxas replied. Ever since Roxas had gotten his own body, he had slept in a sleeping bag on the floor, due to not having his own bed.

"But the floor is rough and stiff while the bed is soft and fluffy." Sora said, giving a childish frown "Riku and me do it sometimes out on missions."

Sora eyes looked to the ground. "Besides, we literally used to share the same body. You'd think we'd be over the concept of 'personal space'." Sora said.

Roxas' face flushed a bit, remembering what it was like, especially when their hearts merged together. He shook his head, trying to push those feelings aside.

"No way." Roxas said.

"Well it's late and I'm not going to force you to do something you don't want to." Sora said, pouting.

Roxas bit his thumbnail and looked between the bed and the floor. The bed _did_ look more appealing. He sighed, finally giving in.

"Fine. Move over." Roxas said, sitting on the bed. Sora cheered, smiling. He happily moved over, Roxas sliding under the covers.

"You stay on your side." The blonde said, pointing at Sora before turning his back to him.

"I understand, goodnight, Roxas." Sora said, smiling. It was silent for a moment before he heard a small grumble from Roxas.

"Goodnight." He said.

* * *

 

It was past midnight and the two were lying in their bed, Sora's arms reaching offside the bed, as if pretending to reach for something. He snoozed away, while Roxas, on the other hand was for some reason having trouble remaining calm. He was so cold and it was unnerving, just woken up from a nightmare. His heartbeat quickening with fear, his eyebrows scrunched up from the bad dream.

The blonde rolled around, rubbing against something warm and soft, he placed his head on it, snuggling up closer to be next to it.

 _Safe._ His half sleeping mind thought, cuddling closer.

As he slowly realized he was next to the brunette, his heart started to quicken in anticipation, a voice telling him in the back of his head to let his guard down, and Roxas was not in the state to argue. He slowly let go of all thoughts of leaving, letting Sora's smooth breathing calm him, relaxing his body and removing all tension. Roxas practically melted being next to his other, all fear being scared off by being in his presence. Deciding he was comfortable, he finally gave into the feeling spreading through him and smiled.

* * *

 

Sora awoke to birds chirping. Last night, he had for some reason been extremely comfortable, his heart beating slowly at a soothing rhythm and a warm sensation spreading across his body. He felt safe and protected, as if he could stay blissfully sleeping forever without harm.

After reminiscing, he suddenly remembered he'd been sleeping with Roxas, and turned his head sheepishly, only to see a big blank spot where the blonde's sleeping body should've been. His eyes widened, stricken with fear. Did something happen to him?

 _Mhm, I'm right here, safe and sound._ Roxas' voice said drowsily. Sora's fear quickly faded away at the sound of his voice. Looking deep inside, there was a familiar feeling that Sora couldn't describe but distinctly knew as _Roxas_.

 **D-did…? Did we…?** Sora stammered. He blushed, realizing that they'd fused in their sleep. Their clothes were a mis-match and blurred coloured version of their pajamas, blue blotted red shorts with one pant leg longer than the other, their short sleeved white shirt with red around the trim of their sleeves.

 _Uh-huh…_ Roxas faded out, sounding sleepy. He was just content to rest there, wrapped up in Sora’s covers. Sora, however, was not.

Sora forced his way out of the fusion, bodies separating. Immediately, Sora sat up and tried standing, his body still not stable from the sudden separation.

 **How is this even possible? Our bodies are both made of solid matter and, and…** Sora thought, flustered, raking his mind for answers. He hadn’t tried merging their hearts together since Roxas became his own person, because he hadn’t thought it was possible.

Roxas pulled on Sora’s wrist and the brunette crashed back into the bed. Roxas pulled his other closer, wrapping his arms around him in a tight embrace that Sora was unable to break free from.

"L-let go!" Sora said blushing, squirming in Roxas' arms. Roxas rested his face on the brunette's surprisingly soft spikes, the sticking up hair parting to let his face rest there.

"Don't wanna." Roxas said. Sora frowned and stopped struggling, giving up. It wasn't like anybody would see them, the rest of them already out on missions and Roxas and Sora both having the day off.

“What happened about ‘staying on our own side of the bed’?” Sora said, in a matter-of-fact tone.

“What happened to ‘no concept of personal space’?” Roxas said, smiling. Sora cursed under his breath. It sucked when someone used your words against you. “Can’t get any closer than this.”

Sora blushed. Close was right. Why wasn’t he struggling? Why had he surrendered? **Move, stupid body, move!** Sora tried kicking his legs, but Roxas captured them, by wrapped his own legs around Sora’s binding him from moving them. Sora felt weak, his body growing hot and nerves on fire.

He could feel that sensation on his skin again, like tendrils slowly binding him gently, tender and wishing to cause no harm, but gradually lulling him to peaceful rest, a familiar feeling he knew deep inside as _“Roxas”_. Sora tried not to fall prey to whatever affect Roxas was having on him, and struggled to keep his eyes open. As his awareness started slipping, he wondered if he had a similar feeling he inflicted on Roxas.

As Sora rested there, giving in to the calming sensation, Roxas slowly hugged Sora tighter, Sora’s body being pressed and fusing with Roxas’.

There was a small glow of light as the two bodies and two hearts melded into one. A small flash a light filled the room as their form settled.

Lazy blue eyes slowly darted around the room, yellowish brown hair in his face. The sun had grown a little bit higher, almost fully into view from beyond the horizon, the light slowly trickling into Sora's room.

There was a smooth tranquil aura flowing through him, Sora and Roxas' energies blurred together. It set his heart at a slow pace, preparing his body for sleep. Satisfied, he closed his eyes.

* * *

 

Hikari's eyes fluttered open, stomach rumbling. He put his hand to his tummy. Maybe it was time to eat breakfast. He'd never eaten before in this state, so he wondered if his cravings would be different. Sitting up, he shook his hair loose.

He felt like a _mess._

Hikari walked across the room to the door, hesitating to turn the knob.

**_Maybe we should unfuse before we go down there._ **

He thought. There was a faint uncomfortable moan from Roxas at the idea, his soul snuggling closer around Sora’s and a happy murmur from Sora as his did so, the two souls nestling closer together. With the grip the two had on each other, Hikari came to the conclusion neither of them wanted to separate.

**_Okay then._ **

He thought. He turned the knob and walked down the empty hallway. His bare feet passed through the carpet and with a sudden burst of energy, he ran down the stairs. Snapping out his tired slump, he opened the fridge looking for something to eat. He smiled, wondering where this sudden drive came from, the strange feeling running through his body like haywire.

Well, Sora was a morning person, so that’s the conclusion he came to. But how could someone be so hyper in the mornings? It wasn’t natural. But he oddly enough liked it.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, the two embodiments were sleeping carelessly, curled up in eachother’s arms. Sora could feel Roxas stronger than ever before, and he let that feeling envelope him. He just felt so safe next to the other soul, resting peacefully. It was strange, losing all sense of self like that, it was like he wasn’t Sora anymore, he didn’t know who “Sora” was… It bothered him that he didn’t know, and it made him scared. Was he even a “he”?

So, his soul reached out for the only thing that could answer him, the other soul that shared this body. “Roxas” would smile, and hold the other soul close, further mixing together, merging the two beings faster. Sora would relax, being slowly sewn together with this other soul. “Roxas”? “Sora”? He didn’t feel like either. He felt like both.

 


	7. THE ROAD SO FAR

Here's a summarization to get everyone caught up:

Due to Roxas sharing his memories with Sora, the two have formed a better connection. Since Roxas is technically apart of Sora now, the memories keep shifting, unaware of where they are supposed to be. Roxas, not wanting to cause the brunette any pain, meets with Sora to try and settle the mess. But the unthinkable happens and their souls resonate, Roxas becoming apart of Sora again, but this time as a co-pilot. It turns out they can fuse into a being that is equally Sora as it is Roxas, instead of Sora just getting the wheel. Drama, fluff and angst ensues. As a fused being, their emotions must be the same in order to fuse, the two numerous times getting into arguments, at one point, breaking their heart in half. Instead of separating safely, they become like Ventus and Vanitas, except not so evenly split.

The two have merged back safely, but even in a state where their healing factor is doubled, something quite not right. A mysterious voice (that is obviously Vanitas to the audience, as well as other unrevealed entities of darkness *wink*) are trying to get them to stay apart, actively causing trouble between the two. Finally, having fed off enough darkness, Vanitas gains a physical form, but is weak and defeated by Sora. Like a parasite, Vanitas forcibly fuses with Sora and sucks on Sora's heart, becoming apart of Sora's darkness and acting as a commenter, controlling some of Sora's actions, but because Sora reigns dominant and they are not equally in power, they are not truly "fused". Meanwhile, Roxas is trying to get Sora back, but can't do anything as long as Vanitas is an active force, only being able to manifest as a voice. Speaking of voices, a seemingly new friendly one has appeared, warning that if they continue, things may end badly. Who is this new player, and how does it play a role in all this?

NOW, ANYBODY CONFUSED OR IS EVERYBODY CAUGHT UP?! Please pm or review so I can help better your understanding of this new development. Sorry I know it's hard, let's just all stick together, okay? 

I also drew [Hikari](http://i.imgur.com/F6AgTxE.png?1).


	8. Then

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora tries to level with Vanitas and understand his pain. But what will that pain bring?

When Sora got home, he crashed on his bed. The tired brunette looked up at the ceiling. He needed to find a way to deal with the demon in his head and eating away at his heart. That's it!

All this time, he'd been hostile towards this entity... Maybe this thing just needed some kindness. He had plenty of kindness, he just needed to treat it like a friend. That usually worked. Sora seemed to attract flames like moths to a gentle flame, or lost folk to a welcoming warm hotel. It couldn't be that hard... Right?

**So, um, where do you live?**

What the hell? I don't have to tell you. Vanitas barked back, irritated.

 **Where's your home?** Sora said, ignoring his rude comment. Vanitas was silent for a moment.

I don't have a "home". Never did, never will. Vanitas growled.

 **Why not?** Sora pressed.

I just didn't. I never needed to. Vanitas said. Sora started to feel Vanitas' darkness start to stir inside him, but decided to continue on anyways.

 **So no family?** Sora asked.

No, not unless you count my master. He made me strong, forced me in the direction I needed to go, and if I didn't go, he punished me for it. Vanitas said with despise. Sora instinctively rubbed his shoulder, as if he had been injured there.

 **What was the direction? What did you want?** Sora asked.

...

... I wanted to be whole. Vanitas sneered. He wasn't proud of his answer and hated that he had admitted such a thing. He couldn't tell Sora about the x-blade, and he couldn't lie to the idiot anyways. The light affiliated weakling just couldn't stop prying.

 **Be whole? What does that mean?** Sora asked, confused. Vanitas' darkness had reached a boiling point, practically flaming. Darkness had started trickling out of his chest, pouring onto his skin. Sora sat up, pulling his knees close to his chest, as if to null the small pain and stop the darkness from leaving more burns on his skin.

Why don't you mind your own business? What's it got to do with you anyway? Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong! Vanitas said angrily, lashing out at the other boy. Sora tried staying strong, but it was hard to keep the darkness from spilling out and think at the same time.

**I just thought that because you seem to be so aggressive, something bad might've happened to you. I want to help you, know more about you.**

Let me guess "be my friend"? Don't lump me together with those pack of losers. Vanitas scoffed. I don't need any friends, Sora. And that was definitely not an invitation for you to try and make me yours.

It had seemed Vanitas had calmed down a tad bit, but his tone wasn't anything but hostile. Sora had come to realize that if he'd been fused as Hikari and Roxas and him had been fighting like this, they would've unmerged by now. But this wasn't Hikari, and that thing wasn't Roxas. If anything, if Sora kept going, his consciousness would definitely be swallowed by Vanitas. He seemed to be strengthened by negative emotions, such as anger, hatred etc, so all Sora had to do was steer clear of those, and he should be good... Only if it weren't so hard to do.

 **Hey, would having control over my heart really make you happy?** Sora asked. Vanitas was quiet for a moment, taken back by Sora's sudden question.

I don't know, honestly. I've never truly experienced "happiness." My heart is mostly cold and empty, something you'll never relate to.Vanitas thought back.

 **Then, let me feel what you feel.** Sora responded.

Huh?! What the heck? Where did that come from? Vanitas relayed with disbelief. What exactly was Sora up to?

 **I mean it. Show me what you feel.** Sora said. He stretched out a sort of spiritual hand towards the dark entity, awaiting his response.

Think you'll be strong enough? Fine, if you want to "help" me, maybe feeling this pain will help you stop. Vanitas growled. He took Sora's hand and the two merged forcefully, Sora's halve of the heart being fully shrouded in darkness.

Sora winced as stabbing pains suddenly erupted all over, blood coming up with throat. The shock was enough to terrify him, body parts feeling like they were contorted and twisted in ways he never thought imaginable. Vanitas liked seeing his enemy squirm, but their body couldn't take four years of torture in one minute.

Instinctively, darkness started venturing into the room, crawling towards Sora to be sucked up in his chest.

Stop it! If you keep absorbing darkness, your body won't be able to handle it. Vanitas said angrily. Just give up and admit your a pathetic hero.

 **N-no, I wanted to know how it f-felt... I'm not g-giving up now...** Sora gasped. The pain was immeasurable and almost indescribable, he felt like something was scooping out all his insides, leaving him empty and hollow. It wasn't like he wanted to rely on darkness, he didn't want to end up like Riku who had been turned into a vessel for a short while. His newly forming heart called upon it unconsciously, as if it depended on it to feed and fuel it's beats, something Sora hated.

Tch. Vanitas said. This idiot was going to get himself killed. As much as he loved seeing Sora suffer - and believe me, he loved hearing those pitiful cries - he needed to stop this.

Vanitas grinned. Right now, Sora seemed to be somewhat consciously accepting him. He'd seen the brunette and Roxas fuse. It was when they were in a mutual state, and something both of them had in common at the moment, was their incredible pain.

Vanitas grabbed tightly onto their heart, the two consciousnesses further blending into one.

Sora couldn't distinguish the feeling from his nerves on fire as his vision got blurry and his eyes slowly turned back to their normal blue. Slowly pain started building under his eyes on his face as two new eyes slowly appeared. He looked over into the mirror to see slitted yellow eyes appear under his normal ones, pushing them up further and forehead growing a little to occupy the new body parts. The sides of his body started shifting, two new arms of darkness taking shape and turning a pale skin colour.

Sora was the next to go, closing his four eyes and seeing a clear image of an evil grinned Vanitas. He licked his lips, grabbing hold of Sora and bonking heads. He held the brunette tightly in place, enjoying every moment.

Their two thoughts smeared together and everything went white.

* * *

 **That definitely wasn't the most smooth fusing I've ever done.** He thought.

He turned his head lazily, glancing over at the analog clock. He'd been knocked out for a few hours, his new form settling. Sitting up in bed, he looked over in the mirror. Their hair had gone all white as well as all of their clothing, probably from all the dark converted light magic their heart had been creating. Their face was smooth and soft as he gently ran his hand across it, a lighter and paler tone.

His top eyes were blue, probably Sora's but they didn't look as wide eyed and filled with wonder as the regular bubbly teen's, more mature and somewhat curved. His bottom eyes, or Vanitas', were closed at the moment, eyelashes looking like a beautiful laced tattoo on his face.

Their bottom arms were Vanitas' darkness turned flesh, Sora's upper arms the same.

He stood up, stumbling a bit and catching his head in one of his arms, closing his top eyes in pain.

**Tch. Why's everything have to be so difficult?**

His lower yellow eyes opened for a minute, looking around and surveying the surroundings. What was left as Vanitas' distinguishable darkness inside them, shifted a bit. Both eyes closed for a moment and the iris' switched, yellow eyes opening on top and blue eyes remaining closed on the bottom.

He walked down the stairs.

"-" he opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

 **I'm not going to risk hurting my mom again.** Sora's faint voice came like a whisper in their ears. It seemed Sora was mostly focusing on keeping Vanitas restrained, his influence in the overall scheme of things dulled down by the effort, blue eyes closed as if sleeping peacefully under Vanitas' annoyed yellow ones. Vanitas seemed to be the most prominent and aware, but couldn't actually cause any harm, much to his displeasure.

"..." He looked in the mirror again, narrowing his yellow eyes. He didn't really have a name, did he? If anyone saw him, he couldn't go by Sora's name, due to the two of them looking quite different. Vanitas had gotten his name from his - _**tch**_. - master, and Sora had presumably gotten his from his mom.

Well, Vanitas' name meant "empty", so why not be the opposite? Maku, then.

He took his finger and traced it in the air, "満杯空". [AN: "Full Sky"]

"Hey Sora! I'm going out! I need you to pick up a few things while I'm gone. The list is on the table." Sora's mom called out from the kitchen. With that, she left with the sound of the door closing.

Deciding the coast was clear, Maku stepped out into the hallway, rushing down the stairs. He put his top arms behind his head nonchalantly, and picked up the list in his two lower hands. His eyes looked over the piece of paper, rolling his eyes.

 **Why the heck should I listen to her? I don't have to do anything she tells me to.** He thought, scoffing and hands reaching up to the top of the paper, in the position to rip it in two. **I'm not technically Sora…** His two eye colours switched, blue eyes staring at the paper with a doleful look, hands stopped, hesitant. **...but if nobody does it, she'll probably get mad and punish me...**

"Tch." He gritted his teeth and narrowed his two eyes in an annoyed manner, the iris' switching back. He folded the piece of paper and slid it into a side pocket on his white shorts. He looked at his two extra arms in disgust, thinking bitterly

**The eyes I can work with, but I can't go outside with two sets of arms.**

At will, the second set of arms disappeared into darkness, receding into his clothes and turning them black again.

**Better.**

He grabbed a set of shades from a bowl filled with miscellaneous stuff, and set foot outside. The hot sun was glaring down on him, Maku looking up at the sky. It almost hurt to be under it full force, his skin already starting to tan.

**Oh look, turns out I'm a vampire. Perfect.**

I'd be better to go to Twilight Town anyways, seeing as prices were cheaper there, using the dark corridors to get to his destination.

He kept to the shadows as he silently walked to the market. Arriving there, he pulled out the list.

**Tomatoes.**

He thought, looking up around him. Stalls were laid out horizontally, shoppers walking around and merchants selling goods. Luckily, nobody that Sora knew was here, so he wouldn't have any awkward confrontations.

He walked up to the merchant selling tomatoes and picked out the number described on the list. His hand searched through his pocket, getting out the munny his mom had left. He offered out the munny, but unfortunately the old woman had her back turned.

"..." Not being able to talk was a real pain in the neck. He rolled his eyes, and coughed to get the lady's attention. When that wasn't enough, he growled, raising his hand and black mist forming a keyblade in it. A little girl seemed to peek out from behind the woman, short blonde hair and ocean blue eyes, gasping at the sight of the odd weapon. He quickly made the keyblade disappear and stood normally. The young tugged on the elder's skirt eagerly and she looked down at the young frightened girl in surprise.

"Oh yes! I'm sorry! Thank you, young man." She said, snapping out of what she was doing and turning to face him. She took the munny from his hand and started to count it. The young girl continued to pull on her skirt.

"Nanna, this boy is scary." She said. Maku looked down at her with golden eyes that seemed to pierce through her, a subtle cold stare as sharp as a knife. She whimpered and further hid herself behind her grandmother.

"That's not a nice thing to say, Aiko." Nanna said, tutting her grandchild for such behaviour. Maku's eyes left the shivering child and looked up at the woman before him. Seeing Aiko's feeble body, he couldn't help but think of the many places he could hurt her, having to look away to restrain himself.

**Why do blondes with blue eyes have to be so irritable?**

He thought.

**Well, most of the time, anyway, including all those difficult times with Roxas. He's at least more tolerable than the other idiot.**

"Ahh, thank you, young man. Come again soon!" She said, giving a humble smile. Maku nodded, narrowing his eyes for a brief moment at the child before leaving. She in turn stuck out her tongue with his back turned. "Pffftt!"

* * *

He ran, faster and faster, barefooted across the market. His incredible speed was so fast, it was hard for the girl following him to keep up. It had turned out, that Aiko had been stalking him all day through the market.

**She thinks she can hide? Sure Vanitas' powers are nulled somewhat, but I can still smell the stench of that beating innocent heart in her chest.**

Stuttering to a stop, he looked behind him and dashed into an alleyway.

Aiko was huffing and puffing. She was going to catch that suspicious man for almost attacking her precious Nanna. Puffing a stray blonde hair out of her eye, she stood back up and ran in after him, not noticing the shady followers close behind.

Going into the darkness, it seemed the strange boy had vanished. She kept walking, the walls narrowing in and her heartbeat filling her ears. With every minute, it seemed that the darkness crowded around her to a point where it was almost suffocating.

"Boo."

She jumped and turned around to see Maku kneeled down to her level, smiling. He let out a small laugh and opened his blue eyes to look at her sympathetically. Her heart was racing. It seemed like he was almost a different person.

"You scared me!" She said angrily, on the brink of tears.

"That was the point." He said, lightly poking the tip of her nose. His smile faded as he defaulted to his normal bored stare. He pulled out a tissue from one of his pockets and held it out to her. Aiko looked at him again, swearing to herself his eyes had changed back to gold again. She hesitantly took the name embroidered cloth, using it to wipe her tears.

"Hm? So-ra? Is that your name?" She asked, looking down at the name hand stitched into the cloth.

**I had forgotten Sora's mom had done that. How unpleasant.**

He thought bitterly, snatching back the used cloth. "I found it on the ground." he said. It seemed Sora's "chains" had loosened a bit, allowing Maku to finally speak. In their mind, it seemed both of their images were chained against imaginary opposite walls, Sora's limp sleeping body hanging loose. Vanitas gritted his teeth, but found himself slipping more and more out of them chains. It had seemed Sora's defence was to chain the darkness, but at that cost, put himself at the same disadvantage.

Immediately he could sense a few dark signatures behind him, wrinkling his nose with disgust and sighing.

"Now, if you don't want to get in the way, stay quiet, alright?" He gritted through his teeth, eyes darting behind him.

"Hey, white freak. Hand the little girl over, her grandma is a little overdue with her payment." A gruff voice came from behind Maku. A few thugs were blocking their exit.

**Times like these I wish Sora still had waveflow… I could use a dark corridor, but her young innocent heart would barely last a minute...**

He thought, thinking of all his options.

"Kehehe... You know, Sora, fighting is the only one to way to deal with this. Let me go free, and my power can deal with these guys in seconds." Maku said with a small cruel laugh.

" **I'm not letting you go free.** " He said, closing his eyes.

"Huh? What the heck? Why are you talking to yourself, creep?!" A thug said, gesturing with his bat.

"If you want to get beaten and hurt, suit yourself. I'm not leaving until I'm fully healed anyways and I could deal with these weaklings in no time flat." Maku said scoffing, opening his eyes and a scornful gold coming out on top.

"..." He stood up and turned his head to face them, letting his sharp gold stare meet their cocky egos. He let his other two arms fall out, not able to keep them in his clothes any more.

"Think you're tough, huh? Let my group teach you a lesson." The supposed leader said. They seemed to have rubber baseball bats, rushing forward with them.

"Tch." Maku said. Seifer may have been stupid, but at least he had some sort of morals and tact.

He thought he could take them with his keyblades, readying up his pose. He stopped when he heard a whimper from Aiko and got a better idea. He rummaged through his bag and grabbed the tomatoes.

"C'mon, you've seen these before, so I assume you know how to use them." Maku whispered to Aiko with a mischievous smile, urging her with the tomatoes. She grinned and nodded and the two of them started throwing the tomatoes at their targets. One by one they went down, the young blonde smiling as tomato juice went everywhere.

"Eep!" The thug swung down the bat on the young girl, Maku just managing to grab her under his arm and dodge roll away.

Aiko breathed heavily. "Wow, you're fast." She gasped, still in shock. He set her down, kneeling down on one knee, face remaining unfazed.

Aiko rubbed her arm, where she had been grazed. It could've been a lot worse, she told herself.

Maku stood up with his shopping bags still in his arms. "Hand her over already!" The main man yelled angrily.

The albino haired teen stared at him with bored golden eyes, readjusting the grip he had on his bags. Running after the enemy, he swung up his bag. The attacker thought he was fast, but Maku was faster. In his attacker's dodge, Maku swung his groceries at his target and hit him in the face, causing his body to fly and hit the ground.

Aiko gave a worried glare and Maku met her soft unwavering blue eyes with his cold golden orbs. His eyes darted between the unconscious body lying on the floor to the young girl.

"He'll live." Maku said.

**Wait. The eggs were in that bag. Shoot.**

He thought, checking the bag he had just swung. Seeing the remains of one perfectly good eggs splattered everywhere, he frowned. "Nee-san! Behind you!" Aiko called out.

On instinct, Maku turned and grabbed his attacker by the neck, a neoshadow heartless flailing helplessly in his arm. Yellow spheres met fierce wide eyed golden ones, the heartless struggling but failing to escape as his hand slowly clenched harder and harder. How dare it even try to sneak up on him. Now it was going to pay by having it's puny life taken away.

Just like that, the heartless was destroyed, the darkness dissipated, leaving Maku's empty fist in the air. "Eeek!" He heard Aiko shriek as he spun around to see three heartless tackling her. They must've been attracted by his darkness or the impure actions of his attackers, and were now going after her innocent heart for desert.

Processing what was going on, his second pair of blue eyes opened up beneath his yellow ones, all four widening and focusing on the site before him. Immediately, he summoned Oblivion in his left hand and Void Gear in his right, his stance a mix of the two fighting styles.

He dashed at the young girl with incredible speed, swinging his two keyblades and exterminating the heartless with no shred of mercy. He narrowed his four eyes bitterly at the hearts floating up into the air, released from the darkness which caged them, letting a small growl escape from his mouth.

The albino looked down on the young shivering frightened girl with his piercing glare. "Are you alright?" He hissed through his teeth, his voice somewhat distorted. The girl looked scared, practically shaking, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Come on, Sora, making a little girl cry doesn't seem to be your style." A familiar voice said. Maku slowly turned around.

_Riku._

The silverette stood there in a school uniform, formal shirt shirt and tie, hands in his pant pockets. Why was he here? Had he followed him to Twilight Town? He even knew that he was a fusion of Sora.

"Sora… Why do you look like this?" Riku asked, concerned. His eyebrows knotted and he attempted to take a step forward. Maku bowed his head.

"I'm not Sora." Maku said, narrowing his four eyes.

"You're wearing the same clothes you wore yesterday with that weird sigil. It almost looks like a heartless's..." Riku said, nodding his head at the sigil on the side of Maku's pants.

Maku looked down at the symbol, the Unversed Mark being a glaring trait of one of his two original hearts. He had hoped nobody would notice, but Riku was sharp in that way.

Maku pushed his sunglasses further up onto his face to hide his glaring pair of second eyes. "I'm still not 'Sora'. You're really unversed on this subject, aren't you?" He said with a small cruel laugh.

_[Some say, if you listen closely, you can hear Ventus facepalming in the background.]_

Riku looked a bit confused, but still managed to keep his stance. "What are you talking about?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I guess I'll say it again; I'm not Sora. Neither am I that 'other person'. I'm not a Nobody and like Roxas or Lea: I'm my own person. I have my own heart, not to flaunt. Albeit with the help of those two, but I have my own beating heart that is individual to yours or anybody else's. I was formed on the basis of mutual pain and as long as the feeling keeps hurting inside, I will still be here." Maku said, rolling his eyes. He saw Riku's eyes dart to the side, thinking.

"But I refer to Hikari as Sora all the time-"

"That's his preference. Do I look or feel anything like Hikari?" Maku interrupted, looking at the silverette with a cold peeved glare.

Riku looked Maku up and down. He could feel the darkness simply flowing off of him, giving the albino a cruel and unfriendly aura that was nothing he had ever imagined being associated with the optimistic smiley Sora. Just thinking about it made a lump form in his throat.

"If you could excuse me, Riku," Maku spat in Riku's direction, walking past him as he spoke "I have things to put in the fridge."

Maku picked a few groceries and calmly stopped when Riku slammed his arm onto the wall, blocking him. "I want you to stop this. I will fight you if you don't let Sora go." Riku said.

"No, you won't." Maku said, cold once soft blue eyes piercing into Riku's. The silverette knew this was Sora's body and he would never harm it as long as there was a tiny chance of getting his friend back. "But I know you might come after me and if you do, I'll be the one putting you down."

Their eyes locked for a few moments before Maku ducked under the arm and calmly continued on his way.

He paused for a moment, pulling on his hood and turning his head to look at the young blonde still shivering on the ground. "Do you want me to walk you home? I, um, need to pick up more tomatoes." He said, looking around at the red splattered tomato juice everywhere. She stumbled to get up and slowly nodded, shakily running towards the albino, pausing to let a small squeak escape as she looked up at the very intimidating Riku glare at her.

What had this little blonde gotten mixed into?

* * *

Maku unclipped the pin that was holding his hoodie on. The black was absorbed into his skin and the white coat fell to the floor right around his bare feet.

Aiko and the albino had ran to another much safer place, a rooftop far away from much outside civilization.

He looked at himself in the old cracked mirror propped against the wall, admiring his four sharp and alluring eyes, with soft skin and white hair. He felt his vest, the same exact one Ventus wore.

"Hmm, so I get Ventus' vest? How cute." He said with an amused smile, turning to inspect its angles, fingers feeling every curve in Sora's body. He knew about both Vanitas' and Sora's pasts, which also meant he knew about Ventus' as well. Afterall, Vanitas and Ventus used to be one person, but now, they couldn't be more different.

"Who's Ventus?" Aiko asked, sitting on a crate, swinging her feet over the edge.

"Hm? Well, he's a piece of me. I'm keeping him safe inside me. Deep within my heart he's sleeping peacefully, until the day Sora wakes him up." He answered with no particular emotion besides his normal bored tone. Maku put a hand over his heart, the muscles in his chest squeezing. His heart usually felt painful, as if constantly being stabbed. He had grown somewhat used to it, but the hurt never stopped.

"How can another person keep one safe in that way? You're very strange, Maku." She said, squinting at him."Who is Sora?"

Maku took a deep breath, sighing. "A person that likes sticking his nose in other people's business and ends up fixing their problems with a smile. Albeit, not a pure light, but certainly more cheerful than my other half, Vanitas. Sora is my compassion, my patience and my forgiveness."

"Bannitas? Bunny-tas?" She said, getting tongue tied.

"What is this, twenty questions? You don't even know these people!" Maku said with a low growl, narrowing his eyes.

"Ooh! I love that game! Let's play it!" Aiko cheered.

Maku "tched" as he turned around to face her.

"Vanitas is a self-loathing jerk that would probably kill you with a straight face and without a second thought to satisfy his own means. He is a displeasure alive and an even greater pest, dead. He is a pathetic idiot's pure darkness taken form and believes anger is a way to create power. Vanitas is my hatred, my selfish pride, and my distaste for others."

"Why do you have four eyes?" Aiko asked tilting her head. This man was weird, and his previous answer was even more odd.

"Why don't you have four eyes?" Maku said, all four eyes focused on her. He sighed, turning around and placing all four hands on the brick wall. "The blue eyes are Sora's and Vanitas' are the gold ones. Usually I only have one pair open and I can rotate colours between the two, the top eyes contributing to which traits I am more likely to exhibit. Right now, both are open so it's an even playing ground."

Aiko looked bewildered.

"That's so confusing." She said.

"The Kingdom Hearts plot in one sentence." He said.

"My heart was made when two people's' hearts merged together. They both exist simultaneously in one place, wills woven and entwined: if they unfuse and seperate, i will cease to be. I have only 1-2 days left of my life, maximum."

Maku said. It was an inevitable fact. Sora couldn't keep Vanitas restrained forever and Vanitas would recover at some point.

"?" Maku murmured. He felt something wrap around his legs and looked down to see Aiko hugging them.

"Does that mean I'll never get to see you again?" She asked.

"Yes. But that's definitely a good thing. Your grandmother probably wants you back." He said. "Could you please, um, stop hugging me? Nothing against you, but I find contact extremely uncomfortable." His face had a slight blush forming on his cheeks, eyes shying away.

Aiko frowned, pulling away. "You don't seem to like many people. Why am I an exception?" She said.

"Well I guess I relate because both Sora and Vanitas started off weak, vulnerable, and don't even get me started on Vanitas' self esteem issues and pathetic attitude, but in the end, they both made their way to the top, the best of the best, albeit, opposite sides of the spectrum. Maybe that's what I see in you."

The girl sat back down on the crate, swinging her legs. It was a lot of information to process.

"Are you saying I'm weak?" She said jumping to her defense.

"Yes." He said bluntly.

"That's mean!" She said, pouting.

"But all that's where everyone starts, it only matters that when you come into power, what you do with it." Maku answered, reaching down and picking up his hoodie.

"If Bani-, Bunni - you know who I mean - is such a bad person," Aiko said "why did you protect me?"

Maku paused for a second, back still hunched over and reaching to the ground. He grabbed the hoodie and recoiled back to standing back straight.

"Well, I guess you had trusted me and sort of named me then and there as your 'knight' and if I were to let you get harmed, and me getting beaten in the process, it would hurt my pride and I would never be able to forgive myself." He answered quietly. He felt so weird, his heart thumping in his chest and skin going numb. Maku looked down at his wrist, the veins pulsating weirdly and blood boiling hot underneath his flesh.

"So, what happens to Sora and that other guy?" Aiko asked.

"Sora gets full control of the body again and Vanitas-" he started, trying to recollect himself. He was sweating now and he just couldn't face the young girl sitting on the box.

"I mean, right now. They're you, but not...?" She said, unsure.

"They're currently chained to the walls of my heart. When they fall out of their restrainment, who knows what'll happen. But right now, they are in my every heartbeat, the subtle whisper in my tone of voice. I'm my own person, much more prominent than Hikari."

"Hikari...?" Aiko asked.

"Sorry, that's one question I can't answer. Haven't really met the guy." Maku said shaking his head and putting on his hoodie, sleeve by sleeve. Having 4 arms was weird.

*crack*

Suddenly, he collapsed to his knees on the ground, scrunching up his t-shirt with his iron grip.

His heart had reached a breaking point, a stabbing pain running through it with every beat. He moaned. It just felt like the chains had broken and every restrained emotion was coming at him full force. All the heat and feelings shooting at him… they were just too much.

"Why... Why is it always me?" He gasped, tears gathering in his eyes.

"M-Maku!" Aiko said, stepping forward in concern.

"I don't understand why it's always me! I have to always be dragged into stuff like this! I wasn't strong, I was admittedly ignorant and pathetic and I was fine to just live my life, but then it had to come crumbling down." Maku yelled harshly, holding onto the walls with his hands and banging a free fist up against it repeatedly.

"Everyone everywhere, their smiley dumb lives always getting mixed up with mine and they expect me to do something, anything, to save them. They put me on a pedestal and all the pressure weighs down on me everywhere I go. I don't want to be a saviour or a pawn, I wish they'd just be strong enough to do it on their own."

He clenched his head in between his hands, practically screaming with tears running down his face. Aiko tried approaching him, concerned for her new companion having a break down.

"I can't handle it anymore, it's just too much!" Maku yelled. He was shaking, eyes widened but sight blurry because of the tears. He looked up behind him at Aiko, and furrowed his eyebrows before turning to face the wall.

"I'm sorry, forgive me." He said slowly.

The albino then fell to the ground and his vision went black.


	9. Turned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If a fusion is an experience, than what does it take for them to live up to that expectation?

_An: Oh, oh, oh, Oh, here we go, Walkin', talkin' like you know, I want your pretty little_ _**pSyChO**_ _._

* * *

Hot air left his lips, his lungs heaved up and down in ragged breaths.

The pain.

It was coursing through his body like wildfire, shooting through his nerves and fueling the blood in his system. It was the reason behind every staggering step and drove him to a means to find a way to end the suffering.

Turn the pain into rage.

Maku grabbed his head and held it in his hands. Everything was buzzing in his head, all these feelings and memories that weren't his, weighing down upon him. Why was Sora chosen to bare all this? It was plain overkill, a twisted joke. And because Sora was apart of him, he was forced to carry the helplessness of others. It just made him want to puke.

He growled and turned his head towards a heartless, limping about mindlessly in front of Memory Skyscraper. His four eyes zoomed on it. A neoshadow.

_"I can't, I'm not strong enough."_

A worried voice echoed in his head from a memory many years ago. It flashed by in his mind, remembering him of a time he was weak, pathetic, all because a puny neoshadow.

With newfound rage, Maku summoned two keyblades, Void gear and Oblivion in his upper arms and rushed at the creature, hitting it with harsh attacks. Of course, more neoshadows gathered, but were quickly slaughtered by the fusion. It still wasn't enough.

**More, I need more…**

A greedy, desperate voice thought. Eyes darting around wildly for other targets. Anything to quench his need to turn pain into power.

With incredible speed, he hunted after more darkness, being able to sense them. Slash after slash, they were defeated, all the darkness swelling in the air and being absorbed by the albino. He'd been hit a few times by some Crawlers, due to him not really blocking, causing him to slow his massacre. Darkness wafted off his body in misty swirls, back hunched over as his breathing hitched.

He smiled. The game, the kill, it was exhilarating, heart pounding, he was enjoying every single second of it. A crooked laugh escaped his lips as he stretched back, ready to continue onwards in his spree.

As his keyblade swung down on the heartless, he enjoyed how amazing it felt. They didn't deserve to live, horrid little beings, he was doing the world a favour by ending their existence and growing stronger every minute.

There was an itching feeling on his back, crawling up and whispering in his ear that he should stop, not bask in the high of slaughtering them, but it was not wrong, it was **so so right.**

Maku thought, pain a dull ache, merely white noise to all the darkness that was pumping through his system. His health was draining, but he didn't care. What were a few scars anyway?

"Sora!"

A familiar voice called out. Maku stiffened at the mention of that name. He was not Sora.

He turned around, displaying a look of displeasure at Sora's best friend, narrowing his golden eyes at the silveret.

"My name is Maku. M-a-k-u. Sora may be one of my halves, but he is not my entirety." Maku said through his teeth in a hostile tone. Of course, it just had to be Riku, Sora's dear best friend and hindrance.

"Ok, fine, Maku." Riku said calmly, trying not to create discord. He attempted to walk forward to close the distance, but Maku jumped back.

"I know you're here to try and get Sora back, but I am afraid that is not plausible right now. It'd be best if you leave." Maku said, a hand straying up to fondle at the fabric over his chest. The time, it just wasn't right yet. Maybe soon...

"I know you think i won't fight you, but when friends get lost to darkness, it's up to those who care about them to get them back." Riku said with a serious glare. He stood his ground, foundation strong under his feet.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm 3/4 darkness. It's a natural part of my being. If you're worrying about Sora, his precious light is safe. I still have to take care of him, even if he's as about as useful in a fight as a twig." Maku spat, rolling his eyes. If he closed his lids, he could imagine his heart displayed before him, Sora's half still strong and burning passionately, clumped together with Vanitas' painful darkness. His bravery was a song that was sung on gentle lips, coursing throughout his limbs, igniting a tension and will to never stand down for what he believed in. To deny that song would only cause it to sing harder and louder for all passing ears to hear and be entranced by its melody.

Maku couldn't help but hum it softly, Sora's memory vibrant in its notes. It was a beautiful string of chords that were precious to him, something he wanted to protect.

The way Riku talked about himself was unfair, seeing as Vanitas was equally as important to Maku's being. Separate and at odds, Maku was a whisper on the wind, but when they were together, united like this, only then could he properly exist. Vanitas' darkness and Sora's light were important to him.

"You're highly damaged... You realize that that's Sora's body, right? I can't have you harming it." Riku said.

Maku looked down and darkness swiftly poured into the wounds, healing them, much to Riku's confusion. Darkness was a source of power, a ravage beast fueled by revenge, a being that couldn't care less if a vessel was killed in that process, moving on to its next victim. To heal someone was out of the ordinary. Did that mean if he engaged in combat, Sora would be fine? It was a risk he was going to have to make.

"I'm going to ask, as a friend, could I have Sora back." Riku said as more as a command than a question.

Maku looked hesitant, half of him saying to attack and the other half reluctantly trying not to fight. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. The distraught, the utter _pain_ that Ventus had expressed when Vanitas had threatened his friends. He himself had never had a _friend_ before, what power could he gain by destroying him?

"As if!" Maku said with a psychotic smile, dashing at Riku with crazed eyes and keyblades in hand. Caught off guard, he got slashed in the back, Riku stumbling forward. He quickly tried to block the next hit, but was still knocked up a bit. Each attack Maku delivered was quick and precise, violent and intolerant of any mistakes. The way he fought almost looked like a dance of death, two golden eyes glowing eerily and two eyes closed in shame underneath, hidden behind sunglasses. How could Sora have become so vicious?

Regretfully, the silveret landed a few blows, Maku not bothering to block them. He held his arm, breathing and taking a slight break.

"Ah ha ha! You weren't able to ever defeat Sora, let alone even beat Roxas without the help of darkness. You're a weak hypocrite!" He said with a sadistic smile, laughing at his prey. Darkness crowded around him as _he_ remembered finally being rid of his light and having no restrictions anymore to hold him back.

His attacks grew slow for a moment, as he barred teeth. But _he_ had a light again, born and blooming like a soothing flower in his chest. Its petals softly and gently reaching outwards, sweet nectar drawing others toward it like bees.

**Sora.**

Maku thought. It was this kind, energetic person that loved everyone unconditionally, preventing him from hurting Riku that badly. Sora cared for others too much.

As Maku acknowledged the brunet, pain flooded through his systems, unconfronted feelings and emotions that made him increase his attack. The grip the flower was having was too much for his darkness, making him rebel, and try and fight this foreign element.

But it wasn't completely foreign. Deep inside, was a light all too familiar. It was weak, but still there.

Maku held his forehead for a moment, before regaining his valor.

**Ventus.**

"You didn't even think of Sora when he failed the Mark of Mastery exam, him having to watch you win from the sidelines. Just because he keeps face doesn't mean he didn't feel any disappointment or sorrow!" Maku said angrily, rushing at Riku again, unleashing a barrage of endless combos.

"Gah!" Riku grunted, trying to block the two keyblades raging at him.

"He smiles for you, for Kairi, for every person he meets, and yet does anyone ever ask how he's feeling? He has to be strong for everyone, never seek consolation, in order to protect the image you all have of him. You don't **** _deserve_ Sora's smile! You don't even _deserve_ his kindness!" Maku yelled.

Through turquoise eyes, it was _earth shattering_ that Sora's once soft joyful face, his best-friend's very image, was saying these things. All these words and feelings that deep down Riku didn't want to admit were true. That it was just the darkness talking.

But what if he wasn't lying?

"Sora is my friend, and if that's how he really feels, let him tell me that to my face!" Riku said. His grip tightened around his keyblade, making an effort to swing at his opponent, noticing how low Maku's health was.

The albino was knocked to ground, weakly standing up. He knotted his eyebrows in a mix of anger and confusion, looking at Riku was his four helpless eyes. He could see Sora's memories clearly, unable to clearly make sense of them until now.

"And yet... because of you, he is able to smile, that he _does_ have happiness." Maku said, voice weak but able to be heard by Riku's, who kept his position, still wary of the fusion in front of him.

Maku's keyblades dispelled and he fell forward, Riku quickly rushing forward to catch him. As Riku held the limp being in his arms, he could sense the darkness coming off of him in waves.

 _Sora, it seems I'm not the only one who strays into the darkness, huh?_ He thought with a small smile. The white haired fusion seemed to be recovering slowly: his battle technique relying on speed and a lack of need for one's body or health. A reckless style that involved a lot of pain and a disregard for their well being. It concerned Riku that anyone would hate themselves so much to fight like that. It wasn't like the cheery sunshine Sora he knew.

But this wasn't _his_ Sora.

Neither was Hikari.

He hadn't seen Hikari fight before, so was it this concerning? Now that Riku thought about it, Sora had sat out of the dueling previously, and was wearing these weird clothes. Why hadn't he noticed this was happening? Was Maku right, and he wasn't looking out for Sora as well as he should've?

Riku shook his head, shaking the thoughts of doubt away. He trusted Sora, and he could say that he was sure that Sora trusted him. Their bond would not be deterred by some stray thoughts...

Would they?

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An: Sorry for late update, life happened. Redoing the ending because of reasons.


	10. Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanitas and Sora resolve their issues. (Mostly)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An: sorry for late update, life happened. AnYWAys I went on vaca so this has been put off. Also it has come to my attention not all my readers have seen Steven universe, so here's some trivia. The more extra limbs a fusion has, the more unstable the two are together, so that's why Maku has extra arms and eyes. Another thing about fusion, is that one can come out of the event missing memories of what happened while fused. Please reread the beginning bc stuff has changed.

It felt cold.

In the black void Maku was drifting in, frost started to form on his skin and breath taking form as clouds in the air. The memory of being enveloped in frozen ice at the keyblade graveyard was faint in his mind, grunting with distaste at the thought.

He struggled to open his four eyes, mostly frozen together. Shivering, he pulled his body in closer to him as he slowly fell, trying to generate some sort of heat. He closed his eyes again, not willing to face this harsh reality. He didn't want to be here, the two of the them were much more important individually. Sora could hold people, entire worlds inside him, and Vanitas had been apart of the most powerful weapon in the universe. He was so little compared to them, who could do so much and be so big, while he... was nothing.

_**Forgive me, Aiko.** _

His last words to her echoed in his mind, regret spreading across his face. In the end he had let her down. He wasn't even supposed to exist and he was already causing trouble.

Somewhere, someone smirked.

_Preaching to the choir._

The all too familiar voice said.

"Huh? V-Ventus?" He stuttered through the cold. He gritted his teeth angrily and narrowed his eyes. "You idiot, you shouldn't be awake. Go back to sleep before you ruin my life as well." He snapped, golden eyes flaring and Vanitas' words surfacing through Maku "You're lucky I even allow you to be here. If it wasn't for Sora's pathetic unconditional love stopping me, I would've squashed you and your puny half."

Personally, Maku didn't mind Sora's love in all this cold. It was warm and pulsated brightly in the suffocating darkness.

The voice groaned.

_Not you too!_

He said with a sigh.

_Look, my identity is not important, but you are, okay? You think that because you're two great people, that you can't even compare. It's not who comes before you that makes you special, you're not just some weak copy. If anything, their traits combine to form something even better:_

For a moment, the voice seemed to change, a different tone altogether, but still familiar.

_A way for Vanitas to be compassionate and caring, and a way for Sora to be ruthless in battle, to cross a line if need be with no fear and no regrets for doing so._

The voice said, a small smile audible in their advice.

_A way for light and darkness to interact in a way that is not harmful for either side. Your heart is special in a way that it is very docile, and allows both participants to walk away unscathed, if not healed and rejuvenated from the experience._

The tone had switched back to its one from earlier, speaking as if the very feelings they had were in the words themselves.

_**You have people who depend on you. You are important to those which you carry.** _

Said an odd, but familiar voice. Like it had never been heard before, but had been expressed.

 **Well, I did save Aiko.** Maku thought, placing a hand on his chest. Suddenly, it started to pulsate, welcoming this new idea and creating warmth.

**She was my first and only friend.**

He smiled. He was starting to get it, why Sora became who he was.

**If Sora were still around and not apart of me, he'd probably tilt his head and smile, because that's what the hero does.**

A hero never works for themselves, the title is given to them by others who appreciate all they have done.

Even if the people he saved were weak, they were still precious to him and their smiles helped him go on.

**Vanitas never really had anyone to smile for him. Wait, could it be possible I'm making hurt for pain?**

Maku thought, ice all but gone from his skin and body. He felt Vanitas side growling at him to stop trying, to back away while he still could.

Vanitas, while his personality was undeniably a turnoff for most, him being the bully that tormented you in grade school, he was undeniably strong and skilled. He was so fast, quick on his feet and cunning. In a fight, he'd doubt Sora would be able to stand a chance against the skilled fighter.

But what blocked that off was a strong self loathing and hatred for what the world had done to him. Nobody wanted to be with him because of how he acted, but this negligence was what caused him to act worse. Forming the _x-_ blade meant that he'd not be empty, strong enough to show the world what he could do.

" **Vanitas, why do you hate yourself so much?"** Sora expressed through Maku's lips, eyebrows knotted with concern and blue eyes sympathetic in an effort to understand.

"It's none of your business," Vanitas said back, more aggressively, the words having bite. Suddenly, there was a rush of pain in their chest, emotions boiling with an unknown feeling that raged like a fire.

But because he had coped with Sora, now all he had to do was try and cope with Vanitas' and he would be free.

Free to do what exactly?

The two were probably going to unfuse and then he'd practically be dust in the wind, forgotten and never seen again. But maybe, if it stopped the pain in his chest, he'd be okay with that.

Slowly he floated down onto his Station of Serenity, Vanitas and Sora's sleeping bodies depicted on the glass.

He knew that a real fusion was formed with trust, something he did not feel. If he ever wanted the hurt to stop, they'd need to find the answer, not _him._

With a small smile, he hugged his shoulders, closing his eyes. Slowly, his form started to dissipate, particles splitting apart and forming two entities that stood parallel to each other.

Sora fell to his knees, heart still in immeasurable pain. "What.. Why is the pain still here." He gasped, holding his chest.

"Our souls may have separated, but our heart is still fused together, idiot." Vanitas growled. Boy, was this keyblade wielder slow.

"I'm not slow! I just don't understand." Sora barraged back.

" _Right._ I forgot we could hear each other's thoughts." Vanitas said, rolling his eyes with displeasure. It wasn't every single thought, but a few got through here and there. Sora frowned.

"I can hear none of your thoughts, so I guess that says something about _your_ brain." Vanitas said with a cruel smile.

**Why does this Vanitas guy have to be so difficult? If we worked together on this, we could probably get him healed up.**

"Why... Why do you care for me so much?" Vanitas asked, trying to compose himself. He straightened up and took a deep breath, looking down on the brunet.

"To be honest, I kind of disliked you at first because you attacked me, but after sharing a heart and getting a glimpse at your past... Well I just thought that somebody should reach out." Sora said with a soft smile. "I know what it's like to be used by Master Xehanort. I was almost turned into a vessel once."

Anger boiled up deep inside them and Sora could tell it was Vanitas', instantly. It was hard for the heart, seeing as it had to compose both emotions simultaneously, causing the two even more pain the further their emotions didn't align.

"A vessel? I was actually doing something, I turned out to be _useful._ Unlike you, who decided to play the white king piece instead." Vanitas spat.

"Well how would you like to-" Sora answered back, stepping forward. His anger was cut off as he closed his eyes, eyebrows knotting together. " _Right, you've probably experienced the same or worse."_ He said softly. Even though this wasn't a battle, it didn't seem like Sora could come out victorious..

"Fine. You win." Sora said with a sigh.

Vanitas was confused. Stepping back, he realized that he didn't even know what those words _meant._

" 'Win'? Does this seem like a game to you, Sora?" Vanitas sneered.

"It's not like I'm giving up... Just, that you win. I can't beat you." Sora said, wincing a bit. He really hated his poor choice of words, finding no better way to put it.

"Am I supposed to be happy? Triumphant? It's not like you're deciding to become apart of my heart and let me take over. What chaos I could bring..." Vanitas said with a small smirk underneath his mask. The brunet had never seen his face, or known his name, for that matter. He'd taken to blocking out Sora from when Maku had explained the events that lead him here, much to Sora's displeasure.

"But of course, most of the time you _don't_ know what you're doing, do you? Randomly coming onto the scene, hand holding a weapon you know nothing about. You were the biggest wild card, Sora. Would things have played out differently, would fate have put another random hero in your place? Probably. A wild card could be anything, anyone. You're not special, and yet everything seems to just dance around to _your_ tune." Vanitas said, starting to slowly pace around on the glass pillar. "I can't be jealous of you, but it's laughable that everything just seems to 'work out', for you in the end. Do you think things in life are supposed to come out that easily? You can just stay true to your heart and the world will find a way to work out in your favor? Because I'm sick of hearing your preachy speeches you think up on the spot about 'friendship' and those words on your tongue. You can't apologise, you can't give up, you are so useless and yet you still stand there, and I can't even _begin_ to fathom why."

**Because I want to help.**

Sora thought, eyes avoiding Vanitas.

"That's right." Vanitas said, coming up to Sora and narrowing his golden eyes behind his mask. "But you don't know how." The ravenet prodding his finger into Sora's chest on each syllable.

"Pathetic." Vanitas hissed, backing away from the brunet. "You're just like that idiot, with so much in common, you two could start a club."

"'That idiot'?" Sora said uncertainly, confused. Vanitas ignored him, quickly switching topics to suit his own needs.

"This place, this 'Station of Serenity', is the surface of our heart, so it portrays both of our faces. It's the only place we're able to meet, seeing as you just _love_ inviting people into it." Vanitas says, pausing to chuckle a bit "Not that I was invited, anyways."

"Huh? Are you my darkness or something? Stop beating around the bush!" Sora said, a bit angry that he was not taken seriously.

"Haha, you wish! That… _pleasure_ belongs to someone else." Vanitas said between spiteful laughs, entertained by the idiotic notion.

"Wait if you're pure darkness, does that mean you don't feel happiness?" Sora said slowly, his tone quickly turning back into a concerned one. How could such a being exist? Well he'd seen plenty of creatures made of complete darkness, but certainly not a human one. After sharing a heart with this guy, Sora could tell that he didn't just mean a nobody or heartless, but an actual literal _dark side._ An entity of pure darkness with a heart pitch black to match.

"Such a philosophical question coming from someone like you. I can't feel anything like 'love' or 'happiness', but I can feel something akin to 'satisfaction' if that would be a correct term. I wasn't kidding when I said I couldn't make friends, Sora. I feel pain from anything positive or light(AN: Besides Ven bc they were originally one) in nature, making you a torturous person to be fused with." Wincing again at the pain in his chest.

"But I admit, not as painful as I thought it would be." he said. He noted that because of Sora's concern and caring nature, it tended to hurt them more when he worried, seeing as Sora's light would reach out and attempt to soothe his darkness. Usually the light with wither from or consume the darkness, but it seemed Sora's did not see either element, just _someone who needed help._ His darkness wasn't that threatening either, not born out of negative emotions, but mostly just the leftovers from when he had had his heart freed.

Sora's eyes widened and then quickly narrowed with determination. Quickly, he summoned his keyblade, dashing at Vanitas. Vanitas, not having any time to react, had his fragile form hit, Sora just being able to see his face behind the mask before his form broke into a mist of darkness.

The mist traveled into Sora, the brunet hunched over and breathing hard from the sudden spurt of energy. This time, he accepted Vanitas' essence traveling into him, relaxing as he felt the boy's darkness seek out his being and the two hearts fused fully once again. He felt extremely tired, everything weak as his identity slipped away at an alarming rate. Sora swayed backward into a fall, his body catching itself as Maku awoke within a burst of light in his place, stumbling forward to balance himself.

Maku held his head for a moment, trying to steady himself, the world still swaying from his four eyed vision. "What the..." He managed to say, confused. Everything was just so sudden, it was hard to grasp. He should've never been alive again, that was to have supposed to have been his death, never expecting to be called back.

"Sora, what were you thinking?!" Maku growled, slightly angry at one of his halves. The pain faded from his chest, the heart at balance again. Maku was literally created to guide the heart in his chest, meaning it could cause him no pain to do so, same as it was for everyone that had a heart. You can't just randomly one day switch hearts with your best friend and expect to walk away all sunshine and rainbows.

Having said this, Sora and Vanitas were better off with their hearts alone, so it caused them to struggle with his heart. From the moment the two first fused, Maku burst into reality, formed to perfectly match the two people that made up the heart in his chest. This still didn't mean he always understood what in jam crackers they were thinking.

Maku sighed, straightening up and running a hand through his spiky albino hair. He closed his four eyes for a moment, pausing to think.

"It's sort of funny how you can't see eye to eye on everything so much that I have one set each for the both of you." Maku said with a soft chuckle, blue eyes settling on his top pair. Not that he was counting, but hadn't that been the first time he'd actually laughed? It was weird, being a fusion, seeing as you weren't completely normal, physically or mentally. (To be fair, nothing about this fanfiction is really normal, anyways.)

He inspected his hand, wondering how his vision differed from a normal persons'. He noticed he no longer had four arms, which he couldn't whether or not that was a good thing or bad thing.

Suddenly he heard a anger filled growl sound the air and he was torn away from the object by turning around to see Ventus charging into him.

Maku winced, bracing for the impact that never came. He peeked open one eye to see the blonde completely frozen in place, stuck in a state about to deal the final blow.

Maku straightened up, leaning towards him and hesitantly poking him to have his hand go through. "A hologram?" He asked. He waved his hand again and the scene changed to the blonde standing out in the distance.

"At least I have some! They're-" the memory started to say before it was quickly paused by Maku.

"Yes, because the one thing I just _love_ seeing, is the moment Vanitas was defeated." Maku said with obvious sarcasm, rolling his eyes. He snarled at the hologram, Ventus dispelling into smoke. He paused for a moment, having a realization.

_Love._

"I can technically love in this form, can't I, huh?" Maku said, Vanitas fueling the words. He'd dabbled in it earlier, planing that by defeating Riku, someone Sora 'loved', he would gain more pain and power. He'd never really thought about the positives.

Aiko had been the only one he'd made his own personal attachment to. He was more like a defender to her than anything past that. Strictly business, he thought. But would she count?

Does friendship need to be something that is out right said?

Maku had boldly called her his friend earlier, despite the huge age gap. Vanitas had never had any friends, and carried a belief that such things were unnecessary for the plans he had.

It was weird, how it felt as Maku to actually _love_ himself. Not a type of actual romance, but a healthy appreciation for who he was. It wasn't a BIG part of his character, but Vanitas could feel it as a small warm sensation in his stomach, a tiny nod in acknowledgement to it existing in the first place. Something other than the constant loathing and bitterness was an odd annoyance to Vanitas.

Maku may of acted like he didn't care, but that didn't mean he didn't care at _all_.

All these things Vanitas couldn't help thinking in their head as Sora's psyche slept soundly up against him, more than happy to let Vanitas be 'alone'. He _tched_ at such reckless behavior. Did Sora just not care at all or did he trust him not to take over and take his body for a joy ride. Was Sora underestimating him, thinking he was too weak to do anything alone. Speaking of, why wasn't he trying to take advantage of this?!

It wasn't that he'd grown soft, but it was weird having not experienced pain or feeling for so long. All the harsh things the world had to offer, cut off from him as he lied in listlessness.

He was mostly a mere memory after all. Remnants, if anything.

**Because I'm still here, remember.**

Maku cut in. Even if Maku didn't want to admit it, it'd be better if both his halves were sleeping. Vanitas couldn't assume direct control, because he was tucked away in a small room within Maku's brain, far away from Maku's own thoughts and emotions, the last bit of their individualities still in tact.

Sleep tugged on Vanitas' soul, whispering sweet thoughts of all worries melting away and letting his heart be in the most capable of hands. He avoided listening, last time that he had done that, the two of them had unfused. He was sticking around to see just what he could learn about Sora, seeing as the ravenet would be the only one to remember this.

"Let's see what else can play..." Maku said, cracking his fingers before wiggling them in anticipation. He walked towards the middle of the podium, hoping to see if he could get a certain distant memory to play.

It crackled to life, a smaller, four year old Sora standing in front of him, the image fizzling a bit. This memory was unique, in the fact it was not Maku's to see, seeing as it had long been forgotten by the brunet, but remembered fresh in the mind by a sleeping blonde.

Maku's eyes drifted off of Sora to what he held in his hands. It wasn't like he was holding the small ball of light per se, seeing as it floated mid air above his palms. But still, the boy held his heart in a way that was beyond just physical contact.

The white haired teen waved his hand, having the scene play out.

"You have me something back when I needed it most - a second chance." Ventus said, almost as if with a small smile. Maku almost cringed at the voice, it being so similar to Roxas', yet the two couldn't be more different.

"I did?" The memory of the brunet asked, confused.

"12 years... Not much has changed, I see." Maku noted. Sora was still not the quickest jaguar in the forest, but at least he made attempts to understand and not make selfish assumptions.

"But... now I have to go back to sleep." Ventus said, voice once hopeful, now disappointed.

Maku rolled his golden eyes, Sora's blue ones closed in rest underneath.

**All you ever** _**do** _ **is sleep.**

He thought.

"Are you sad?" The young Sora asked, concern in the boy's voice. A lack of understanding that was not to be confused with curiosity, but a need to figure out the situation in order to mend it.

Also, it was, not to mention, one of the weirdest questions to ask. Usually you are asked "are you okay" or "are you alright". Sora was so on point, cutting to the source.

"Would you mind if I stayed here, with you?" Ventus asked, having had no company for days on end, surrounded by darkness, while stuck in a state of almost dead but never actually dying. He probably just wanted to not be alone anymore.

"Sure, if it'll make you feel better." Sora answered simply. To him, it wasn't some life changing choice needed to be drawn out. Sora always listened to his heart, being able to make decisions in the thick of the moment without coming to regret them. Neither of the two knew exactly what this question would mean and what it would come to.

"Thank you." Ventus said softly, as if smiling when the words left his lips, not that he had lips to smile with. The heart slowly floated into Sora's chest, the brunet's hands guiding the small ball of light by pushing it gently in.

His chest shimmered for a moment and he sighed, a weird bubbly feeling in his chest before settling into a warmth.

The image faded before Maku, left to stare at the events. His eyebrows wiggled in confusion, one thing on his mind. He knew Sora basically loved everyone, instantly calling everybody he met a "friend", but it still left him pondering "Why?". How could a boy be giving all his life, so gentle and outgoing, all actions derived from wanting to help others.

He tapped his fingers, thinking, seeing as Vanitas and Ventus were separated, it was odd how Vanitas had a place in Sora's heart, but he'd doubt Vanitas would let that memory play.

Suddenly, the world around Maku changed, warping into Destiny Islands. He was surprised, but found by kicking the "sand" of the "beach", he was met with the sound of scraping against glass.

He saw Vanitas standing on a wooden platform, stepping out of a portal. Under his helmet, he looked upon the world with a scoff of disgust, before walking along.

"This seems like a place with not much trouble... Not a world I'll spread much unversed to, but a nice enough place. I can see why the old man wanted to leave though." Vanitas said, Maku shivering at the sound of the voice outside his thoughts. He blushed lightly moving a hand to smooth down the fabric of his outfit from the chest to his thigh. It was weird, seeing a piece of himself outside him, not safely wrapped up inside his body. He gripped the side of his shoulder using one of his top arms.

It was uncomfortable to say the least.

Vanitas suddenly stopped walking, turning to look at Maku, further unsettling the fusion. The albino turned around, focusing his four eyes on what was behind him. A small Sora and Riku were playing on the beach, oddly enough.

Vanitas' eyes widened, a hitch in his breathing, a habit he had picked up from all of his memories as Ventus. Darkness didn't necessarily breathe as it did destroy.

Ventus.

Vanitas thought, sensing his other half in the boy running joyfully across the beach. It was odd, just being able to see an imprint of Ventus in the brunet, small and hardly traceable to anyone other than what would be his darkness.

Vanitas hopped down gracefully from the platform, skirt fluttering in the air before settling down at his thighs. He landed right in front of the boy, Riku running off and out of the memory.

"Hello!" Sora said, albeit a tad shy at first.

The ravenet snarled, before grabbing the young Sora by the collar and hoisting him up in the air. Sora kicked his legs and struggled, trying to get out.

"Tell me your connection to Ventus!" Vanitas said, angrily interrogating him.

"Ben… Bentas?" Sora gasped. He could barely speak, much less pronounce the weird name.

Vanitas growled, tightening his grip. Sora placed his small hands on top of Vanitas in the struggle. At the contact of skin on skin, there was a buzzing feeling that struck through Vanitas, a nice warm light with a kind touch. Seeing those ocean blue eyes, it was like looking into Ventus'.

From the shock of such a familiar face, Vanitas dropped the brunet, Sora sputtering and coughing. The ravenet stood still for a minute, still processing the similarity. His face turned into a scowl, already feeling some Unversed boiling in the pit of his stomach, trying to keep them inside for now.

The light, completely pure and innocent in its radiance, coming off of this kid, was annoying. While Ventus' light was an element, a type of force, this light had form and warmth, an original bonafide version, raised with care and compassion. Ventus' was made, but this kid... He was _born_ this way.

Immediately, he pointed his keyblade at the poor child, who was slightly scared by Void Gear being an inch away from his flesh. With a cold, angry stare, his golden eyes pierced through the helmet he wore, and almost into Sora's soul.

"Since you're no where near ready to be a plan b, maybe I'll make you a plan d or e..." Vanitas said, an unkind smile worming it's way onto his lips. He dipped his keyblade onto Sora's shirt, not hard enough to injure the boy, but enough to make contact. He closed his eyes, summoning up his darkness as a black mist started to form. It traveled down his keyblade and into Sora's chest, the boy letting out a wince of pain as it was forced into him. He choked a bit as Vanitas rolled his eyes.

"Relax, it's not like it's going to hurt you. It's practically harmless, not even going to affect your hearts' balance, after all, I need you pure for my backup plan." Vanitas said. It was mostly like a tracking device, something that he could go to if need be.

"There." Vanitas said, the last of his darkness traveling into the boy. He withdrew his keyblade, seeing no need to have it there. Even if Sora could run, what just could he do?

Sora felt the pain settle as he winced from the feeling. It felt cold and conniving, a sneaky coyote preying on his chest. The beast snarling at Sora, seeing as there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Maku shuffled his feet, unable to remember how it felt, but imagining the pain must've been immeasurable.

"Sora!" Riku distantly called.

Vanitas' pupils dial acted in realization. "That must be your name then. A sky full of wind." He said with a dry laugh, a joke only he himself would understand.

Vanitas looked around, before turning to a newly opened portal. Before stepping in, he paused for a moment to glare at the young boy lying lump on the sand.

"See you around, kid." Vanitas said with a manipulative smile, causing the scene to fade away before Maku's eyes.

"..." Maku stood there silently, unsure of what to make of this. Sora had had Vanitas within him all those years, yet he had only chosen to awaken recently. The thought bewildered him.

He was still a little dazed from seeing his halves faces in person, an act that seemed impossible and yet had somehow happened. He didn't even know what had caused the memory of Ventus and Vanitas to awaken, maybe something on the whim of a cheerful brunet, he couldn't come to a conclusion.

One other thing that was odd, was that he had formed with only one set of arms, contrast to the four limbs he had before. His body was weird in the fact that it was mainly made up of the colour white, while being internally ¾ darkness, a never-ending void of black. He ran a hand through his albino white hair, spikes parting at the light skinned hands' touch. Sighing, he closed his golden eyes.

He sort of missed having Vanitas' mask, but in the same time, was admittedly glad it was gone. Vanitas had been born with it, bursting forth curled up around his heart. He had no face, no image to call his own. Then, when he got a face, it actually was one of the few accomplishments he had held to some regard. A face of his own, belonging to no one else, especially not Ventus. It set him apart and established him as his own person, worthy of being called an individual. How he came to acquire the face, was unknown, but it didn't matter. _(AN: Before you ask "But Sora and Vanitas have the same face", read the ending Author's Notes.)_

Now he was currently sharing a face - literally - with some boy he decided to give his darkness to on a whim. It seems it hadn't affected the boy in all the years it spent dormant, so that was a plus. Vanitas didn't really care as much, seeing as he just needed Sora to be alive.

But the mask… his face felt cool and fresh to finally not be hidden behind darkness and finally exposed, fully in the light. Sora was definitely the one behind this, seeing as the brunet had probably never worn a mask in his life and hated to hide behind one. If Maku prodded through Sora's' memories, he could find repressed scenes of a feral mind and a clouded yellow vision, primal thoughts in his head. Valor form gone wrong.

With his friends gone, it was so easy for him to be swallowed in darkness. Trapped in a form so scary, it frightened sora to think about it.

"Are you scared of the darkness, Sora?" Vanitas said through Maku, a snicker on his lips.

" **... Well no... Is what I'd like to say, but, honestly, isn't everyone afraid of the monsters under the bed?"** Sora spoke using Maku's tongue.

"I'm not afraid of what's under the bed." Vanitas snarled back, Maku's face taking on an ugly growl.

**Liar.**

Maku thought. He could feel it in his heart.

"Vanitas is afraid of lots of things..." Maku said, almost in a mocking way, an anger building that behind Vanitas "strong" façade, he still had weaknesses - which was not the part that bothered him, no, just that he didn't treat them seriously, he his them, building up the pain for years.. "Being not good enough, weak...it's what makes him human, even if he doesn't want to believe it."

Maku shivered, something in his heart shifting. Was it possible for a heart to... Change? He didn't even know if _change_ was the right way to put it. It felt weird and tingly, but he slowly grew to like this new feeling.

"Vanitas-" Maku shivered, sensing his voice had gotten a tiny bit higher in pitch. "Can't rely on anyone, because he has no one that is there for him, which is why he hates Ventus, because he has so many by his side... Why he hates Sora..."

His form started to shimmer and wobble, body unstable and entering into a state of diffusion.

"So, unfuse, fight, will you ever get anywhere?" Maku said, his quivering form still trying to stay one "I'd to think, that when Sora once admitted of being afraid of the darkness, he was lying - it's not the darkness anyone is afraid of, just being left alone in the dark. But there is a secret that Vanitas has never ever found, a truth he's never been able to see, but has become all the more apparent when your life is not your own, just two side roads merging into one path. That, as weird as it may be," Maku closed all his eyes, form enveloping in one light.

"you're never alone." Sora said, standing across from Vanitas on his Station of Serenity.

Vanitas breathed hard, tears falling onto the inside of his mask and dripping down his cheeks. He quickly took it off, not being able to take the suffocation any longer.

"Shut up!" He growled summoning his keyblade by reflex. Vanitas lunged at Sora, the brunet barely dodging and rolling out of the way.

He stumbled to his feet and summoned his own blade, for protection need be. He couldn't make this a cycle. He would have to try some magic, see if that worked.

"You won't let yourself make relationships, so can you really blame anyone for your loneliness? It's not Ve-" Sora said. Vanitas growled, cutting him off and lunging at the brunet in a blur of speed. Sora had somewhat gotten used to how Vanitas fought, so it give him a tiny advantage he would not be taking for granted.

Sora fell to his knees, Vanitas' keyblade dangerously near his throat and golden eyes piercing into his soul with pure hatred, keeping his stare constant.

"Don't talk so carelessly like you know everything about me, Sora." Vanitas said. "Especially, throwing around that name." His voice was steady, but had a certain angered bite to it.

"As much as you go around, making bonds with everyone, you forget that hatred is something not even you can escape. You've never admitted it, but everyone with an enemy experiences some type of negativity towards them. Remember when Kairi was kidnapped by the Organization? Without a doubt, you harbour some dislike for Saïx, stealing away your precious ' _friend'_ so easily. When loneliness is realized, it is so easy for one to blame another and turn down the path of anger. By some miracle, you've managed to reign enough control over your emotions after Roxas' influence stopped in the World That Never Was, but still, I can't help but think you harbor some hatred for Xehanort." Vanitas said, a sour-tasting smile formed on his face as he spoke his last line "I wouldn't blame you if you did."

Sora shifted uncomfortably underneath his gaze, darting his eyes down at the sword too close to his throat. He swung his keyblade at Vanitas', rolling away at the moment the weapon was out of the way.

"Why don't we create a bond? You give up and I'll try out this 'friendship' thing." Vanitas said, a smile of cruel amusement still plastered on his face. A smile, Sora did not trust at all.

"That's… that's not how it works." Sora said, almost biting his lip.

"Face it, Sora. Pain, hate and anger are all caught in one cycle. But this cycle leads to power. Give in and I'll make sure you get the power you need." Vanitas said, slyly stepping towards Sora, every step echoing off the glass. It drawled on Sora, sinking in like some unwanted sludge.

"Need? For what?" Sora said, frowning. He hated being played with.

"What if you could build boats on that little island of yours all day without having to worry about anyone or anything taking away your happiness?" Vanitas said, continuing his conniving smile. "Forget all this was happening and go after your own desires without any fear."

"I… I can't just give up on the people out there counting on me. Riku, Kairi… they're important to me, but so are all the other friends I've made on this journey. I don't regret meeting them. I don't regret creating Roxas, and I don't regret ever meeting you." Sora said, standing strong and a hand placed on his chest. A pang rang out through his heart at the memory of Roxas, wondering if his friend was okay.

Vanitas' foot stepped back as his smile quickly turned down in disgust. "I don't know why you try so hard, but it's annoying." He said. "I can't-"

"You can't be friends with anyone? Now who told you that?" Sora said, confused, cutting Vanitas off. Vanitas was appalled, trying to find something to say.

"I don't really know how 'fusion' works, but when I was fused with you, there were some parts I can't really remember. One thing I do still remember, are the feelings we shared, together. It's fine if you don't want to be friends with me, but that doesn't mean you should close off yourself to everyone. You're worth more than a weapon." Sora said, sympathetically. He had come closer to where Vanitas was standing and held Vanitas hand in act of affection. Vanitas anger slowly calmed down as he looked into Sora's eyes, searching them for any sign of darkness or evil intent, but all he could find was honesty and light.

"Whatever, Sora." Vanitas said, looking down at the ground and swatting Sora's arm away. Inside his chest, his heart panged with a sudden loss of Sora's comforting warmth giving it attention, but he tried to ignore it. His eyebrows were discouraged and golden eyes darted quietly, as if thinking hard on some matter.

"What if you were forced into that situation? Trapped in a state you couldn't get out of, yet enjoyed so much you wouldn't even know you wanted to leave?" Vanitas eyes darted up once or twice, but remained mostly in thought.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Sora asked. He tilted his head, completely ignorant of what Vanitas was talking about.

Vanitas rolled his eyes, thinking it'd be pointless to hint at it any further. How this idiot could be the saviour of all the worlds was astounding, his face snickering at the thought. Too bad he wouldn't get to see how Sora's journey would turn out. It was time to take his leave now, anyways. He had plans to torture another certain person before the end of Sora's story.

"Goodbye, Sora." Vanitas said, letting a moment escape for him to smile to himself.

By the time Sora irked his attention back to the ravenet, he was gone, the air empty where he was once standing.

Quickly, Sora's widened and he went into a defensive stance, looking around for him. It was hopeless. He stood back up straight and sighed, knowing he wasn't going to see Vanitas again any time soon.

There's a familiar jolt of butterflies in Sora's stomach and a pulse of electricity runs down his spine.

"Sora?" Came a voice, nice and slow, yet sprinkled with curiosity. Sora spun around to see Roxas standing before him. As Sora looks at Roxas, it feels so familiar, but like he's meeting the blonde all over again. All he can see are Roxas' big blue eyes, filled to the brim with worry, an endless sea of panic crashing in them like a storm. He's almost taken aback from the confrontation, their bond causing Roxas' emotions to come at him full force to a point where it's overwhelming.

Sora quickly shakes his head and smiles: he's safe now.

"Roxas!" Sora answers excitedly, too happy to care right now if hugging Roxas is childish. The blonde grunts from the sudden embrace, but slowly puts his arms around Sora's back, reveling in the fact that the brunet is by his side once more.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't help. Something was holding me back." Roxas exclaimed, still not totally relieved.

_Something stronger than me._

He added silently.

Sora and Roxas parted for a moment, still within a close range of space. Sora searched Roxas' face. There's something more in Roxas' eyes, muddled within all the concern; _guilt_.

Sora's heart panged in response, reaching out quietly in an effort to ease his friend.

"I thought I'd lost you to the darkness." Roxas says quietly, eyes avoiding Sora's.

"Hey, you don't give me enough credit! I can stand my own ground." Sora said with a grin, jokingly punching Roxas in the shoulder.

The blonde laughed, rubbing the area. "Haha, I guess you're right. Even if sometimes, you _can_ be an idiot." Roxas said, easing up.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Sora said, crossing his arms. He was just playing along, secretly glad to know Roxas wasn't as sad anymore. Roxas laughed some more at the brunet's reaction, losing all tension. He slumped over on Sora's shoulder in order to keep balance and Sora soon joined in laughing, happiness radiating all over the two of them.

Deep inside Sora, his heart reached out towards the other, offering solace the only way it can, Roxas' heart joyfully reaching out back at it.

The two friends started glowing, bodies turning into light in the heat of the moment. Sora's heart opened and welcomed the familiar companion in as the two melded together in a blur of colour, the two distinct voices turning into one as Hikari stood there, laughing in their place.

What was left of Roxas' worry and concern melts away almost instantly, warmed by the joy of being united. As the laughing eventually fades, Hikari is still smiling, enjoying the sensation of safety buzzing through his body.

_**This is what a fusion is supposed to be. Not painful. Not hurting.** _

He thinks, stretching his arms back behind his head and getting a feel for his body once more after being separated for so long. It felt great to be back.

He was formed out of trust and love, a constant warmth in his chest humming in agreement. They were just so perfectly entwined, smoothly fitting together effortlessly.

As Hikari felt their love flow through him, he couldn't help but wish it'd be this way forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: NOW SIT DOWN BC SCIENCE TIME. The reason why it bugs me to no end when fanfic writers make Sora identify Vanitas face as his own or Ventus' as Roxas, is because, scientifically, it is INCORRECT. You see, it is fact, that if someone saw their clone, they would not recognise it, more likely get some tiny familiarity, but not actually freak out. You see, our minds have our own image of what we look like, meaning, we may see ourselves in a picture or mirror and say "Yes! That's me!" but our brain has a bias, that if we were to meet an identical clone, we wouldn't recognise ourselves. Now, you may think I'm wrong, but there have been cases in real life of this. Example: a gay model couple turned out to be identical long-lost twins. Google it. I'm not joking. It's also the reason why when you look at a biological sibling, everyone will say you look alike, but you will shake your head and say "Nah, I don't see it." If you've ever hated a selfie you've taken, this ties in, because you are used to seeing yourself in a reverse image, a mirror reflection, but an iphone flips it, so if you held your image side by side with your face, it would look identical and un-mirror like. You're used to seeing the mirror, so selfies always look off. WHICH IS WHY, IF ROXAS AND VENTUS OR SORA AND VANITAS MET, THEY WOULD NOT RECOGNISE THEIR FACE. But seriously, considering how slow Sora is, would he really notice it anyways? That and Vanitas wears his mask a majority of the time, so that's another variable. We don't know if Vanitas' face aged, because Sora's definitely has, so they would look off, again.
> 
> Speaking of faces, the only time both Maku's eyes are really ever open, is when he's talking to Aiko, because Maku as a whole, sees her in one way, as a friend, not just by Vanitas or Sora's side individually.
> 
> Another sciencey thing that relates to eyes, is that someone asserting dominance will keep eye contact more often as a sort of intimidation. Making eye contact sometimes differs in different cultures, for instance, in Finnish culture, when a person makes eye contact, it is a sign of approachability. By contrast, when a person makes eye contact, it is considered to be an expression of anger for the Japanese. (It depends on the type of eye contact.) I do some research to make my characters interactions realistic.


	11. Into

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN: STOP! There is a chance hardcore readers that have been with this story since the very beginning find this chapter a little strange and familiar. This is a re-upload of an earlier chapter that was taken down so the whole bit with Vanitas could be added in. THERE ARE LOTS OF CHANGES. RE-READ EVEN IF IT SEEMS FAMILIAR. If you’ve been a reader after November-December, then read this has been an utterly worthless note with no meaning. S-sorry, read on and forgive me, okay? o(╥﹏╥)o BUT LIKE I GOT A BETA SO WOOOO HAPPINESS 〜(^∇^〜）（〜^∇^)〜

“You could always do it, you know. Get off your high horse and talk to them. Him. Whatever, not like I care.” One person said in the darkness, crossed arms hardly silhouetted in the faint light of a cracked pillar.

“I can’t make decisions for them… I can only provide a warning.” The second person replied, shaking their head. Their voice was soft, carrying too much regret.

“It’s just a repeat of that same old gimmick you have going on. You try to help and you end up making the situation worse. That’s the real reason why you don’t try to communicate. Too afraid to mess up like last time.”  The first person said snidely, a cruel smile on their lips.

“Kch. You always have to remind me of how much I hate you, don’t you?” They replied, face showing an anger long since hidden, body in a defensive stance.

“Or maybe you’re just afraid of being forgotten again. Sora doesn’t ever remember meeting you, and after all he’s done, maybe it’s some kind of gift from the universe to be rid of your place in his memories. But I digress,” the first person closed their eyes “you can’t fight me, and I can’t fight you, so the way you’re standing is just  _ pathetic _ .”

They opened their closed orbs and uncrossed their arms calmly, eyes a piercing at the other person. The second person glared and unwillingly stood normally, still on guard. Their angered face hadn’t let up one bit.

With a sigh, the dark figure outstretched their hand, confusion on the other's face. As their arm held in the air, they gave off one last sinister smile.  

"Shall we?"

* * *

 

**Goodbye, Roxas.**

Sora said sadly, more so than his normal farewells. As if it was the last one he was ever going to say.

_ Hmm, okay, see you soon. _

Roxas replied. Sora didn’t answer him and Roxas was left alone, the odd silence was discomforting and empty. Why had he said it so sadly?

Roxas could feel his heart pulling away from Sora’s, popping out of their merged state. He always felt so weird afterwards. He shuddered his shoulders gently as he got used to the feeling. Slipping into the nothingness of his state of being was always so calming. He opened his eyes and…

sunshine.

Roxas froze.

His heart beat furiously in his chest as fear coursed through him. What was happening? Why was he in Sora’s room? Why was he alive again?

All these questions got muddled in his head as he slowly hushed Sora’s friend’s questions of concern by ending the phone call. For a minute he just sat there, the temptation to keep this body rising every second. He was mostly in shock, realizing he had full control again, no Sora to weigh him down.

_ No, Roxas, he doesn’t weigh you down… you're fine, remember? This body is Sora’s you need to get him back. _

Roxas shook his head and locked the door using his keyblade. He didn’t know how to find Sora, but he had a pretty good idea how. His heart was constantly searching for his other, but seemed to be grasping at straws in the attempt, unsuccessful. He’d calmed down a bit, but he was still pretty shaken.  
  
**_Can you feel Sora?_ ** _   
_ _   
_ Riku's voice echoed through his head. Roxas held his head in his hands, pressing them against his ears.  
  
_ Shut up shut up shut up! _ _   
_ _   
_ He tried to hush the echo. There was no time for this! He  __ needed to find his other.

* * *

 

Roxas opened his eyes on his Station of Serenity.  _ His, _ not Sora's, an accomplishment and oddity in itself. It was usually Sora's who had dominance over the body, so they always met on his station. It was Sora’s heart after all, Roxas’ own barely had a clear cut existence within it.

He wondered where his Other might be, when he heard an all too familiar and unwanted voice.

"It felt nice again, didn't it," a familiar voice said innocently enough, but with malicious intent "to have a body again. To be in control. I would know."

Roxas scowled at the darkness.

"Sora doesn't deserve to fall into darkness! How would you know anyway?!" Roxas yelled in defense of his lost friend.

"Well, no reason really." The figure stepped out of the darkness to reveal a hooded figure wearing an organization coat, hood over their head, but face still visible.

Roxas almost jumped.

_ It was himself. _

“Oh believe me, I’ve been in your position. Rejected by the main host, having a life that’s rightfully yours taken from you. But now Sora’s in  _ your _ Heart, not the other way around. You just can’t find him right now.” The second Roxas said.

Roxas immediately growled, keyblades appearing in both hands.

“Do you know where he is? Give him back right now! If you don't, I'll just have to go find him!” Roxas shouted with a lack of patience. He hated being treated less than equal, and what he hated even more was people treating his friends worse.

“And what if we do find him? What then? Go on our happy go lucky way, saving worlds with the power of light and friendship?” The Second Roxas snarled, disgusted.

“Take this as a chance. A chance to have a life again, to see the twilight sun and laugh. On your own, without Sora. Sora put an end to those happy days, he was the night that swallowed that sun and refused to spit it back up.” The Second Roxas said smiling maliciously.

"I can't, I just-" Roxas sputtered.

Roxas took a deep breath and calmed down a little. He needed to think for once in his life.  _ Nah.  _ He threw away that thought in an instant, seeing as he’d never really done that anyway.

“You say you know everything about me, huh?” He mumbled.

“Hm?” the Second Roxas asked, curious and a tad surprised.

“If you know me so well - which you  _ don’t _ \- then you should know i’m a bit stubborn,” Roxas grit his teeth as the tension in his fist was slowly rising “I’ll admit that. When I was forced to meet Sora in that mansion, I was tired more than anything, nobody wanted me, because all my life I’ve been surrounded by manipulators, liars and backstabbers, so you think I don’t know one when I see one? Every single living day, I have never changed a single decision I’ve made. Some people may call me close-minded, but they’re wrong. To change a decision at this poin would mean to doubt myself _ , _ to show weakness in my actions. To not be me, who I want to be. So, sticking to that, all my life, I’ve only had one exception,” he paused, a cheeky smile on his lips “Sora.”

The voice stifled a laugh. “Oh wow, what a surprise, you're really-”

“No, you shut up and listen, listen real good.” Roxas said passionately, his eyes burning with a thousand sapphire stars, his anger as strong as the hottest blue flame. “When I met Sora like that, I was angry, who wouldn’t be? Losing all you had to some guy everybody says is more important than you and yet you have no clue why? All these questions were flying around what was left of me, the part that resisted the whole process. When my best friend died and I couldn’t stop it, I was more than mad. I was filled with regret. The what if’s and the like, milling inside and

making my heart hurt. Why him? Why not me? That’s when I finally got answers. Every day I’ve been pushed aside and ignored, answers at that point were the best thing to happen to me! I’ve been lied to and manipulated, but there and then, I was practically yelling and asking, and Sora gave me something nobody else had ever told me: the truth.” Roxas stood firm as he spat his last words. “So yeah, what if I’m considered by everyone ‘second best’ to Sora? Who cares?! I have faith that if he were with me right now, he’d feel the same way and we’d never give in to your silvertongue, maybe if you had caught me back then, but certainly not now. You may say you're me,” Roxas spat, jabbing his keyblade into the Second Roxas' chest "but you're just some darkness with my face."

Roxas breathed heavily, sweat slowly dripping down his face from his intense speech. He waited, in the heavy silence for the answer.

"Ha..."

"Hahaha...ah hahahaha!" The creature started to laugh madly, palm pressed to his face as he smiled widely.

He opened up his eye to reveal a golden orb, glowing eerily in the shadow cast.

_ "You think this is your face?" _ The Second Roxas said with a big entertained smile.

Roxas' eyes widened.

"What?" He asked.

"Think about it. Why is it only  _ you  _ who doesn't look like their somebody? Why are  _ you  _ so special?" The Second Roxas asked.

"I-" Roxas tried to cut in.

"That's right.  _ You're not special at all.  _ You look like that because of Sora. Because of me. You're merely a pathetic reflection. You have nothing to call your own. You're the spitting image of Ventus."

"What are you talking about?!" Roxas demanded.

The Second Roxas said, grew quiet for a moment, slipping the gloves he had off each hand to reveal black hands with red veins running down them.

Roxas got even more confused when suddenly the male's organization coat ripped off his body, finally revealing his full body. He wore a full black muscle, red vein coloured suit, helmet guard on the edge of his face. In his hand he summoned a weird, pixelated weapon with two kingdom keys crossed on it.

"If you keep doing this, keep fusing with Sora..."

"You'll be nothing but darkness!" He cried out, laughing maliciously before charging towards Roxas with the destabilized  _ x- _ blade.

Roxas braced himself with his arms cowering his face. But the hit never came, and Roxas was engulfed in a rush of darkness.

He slowly let his arms down, looking side to side. All he could hear was the sickening sound of Venitas’ evil laughter echoing in his ears.

Roxas looked at his hands, trembling in his eyes. He was terrified. That monster... What he had been saying... Could it be true?

_ What the heck?! _

He thought. He bended over, clutching his stomach and trying to dull the storm within.

In a puff of darkness Sora appeared, standing in a daze.

Roxas looked up, tears almost spilling from his eyes in happiness. He smiled, standing up straight and wiping the liquid from his face.

"Sor-" Roxas' smile faded at a closer inspection of his face. It was terrified, tears bunching up in his eyes and spilling down his cheeks with every blink.

"It can't be...no... I can't be too late." Sora gasped. His eyes were a golden colour, seeing something that wasn't there.

"Snap out of it, it's an illusion!" Roxas said gripping Sora's wrists, managing to get a handle on the gloves.

"G-get off of me! You're just darkness!" Sora yelled angrily, tugging away from Roxas' attempt at grounding him. He took a step back, drawing nearer to the edge of the stain glass.

"Sora? Are you okay?" Roxas asked, cautiously stepping forward. Sora growled, stepping back.

"You can't blame it on Roxas, it's my fault!" Suddenly, Sora summoned his keyblade and rushed at Roxas, the blonde summoning his own kingdom key and blocking it. The brunet's blue eyes flared into an unknown enemy, Roxas trying to fend him off.

"I can't change that he was made because of me and he suffered because of that." Sora said. "I couldn't help him. And now he can never see Axel ever again, and I'm sick of it!" He swung his sword to his side, emphasizing his words with his movements. He lept to the side, dodging a fake attack.

Swinging the kingdom key down, he continued his attack on Roxas, the blonde not wanting to harm him.

"At least now, now I can actually help him, possibly fill up that loneliness left behind by their faded memories. But I know I'll never replace them. I know how important they are to Roxas, just as Riku and Kairi are to me..." He made a fist, looking up at Roxas.

"That's why... I'll always be his friend no matter what!" Sora exclaimed.

Roxas opened his mouth and then closed it.

_ I guess there's no saving you after all. _

Came a sorrowful voice from behind Roxas.

He quickly turned to see the remnants of a person fading away, wanting to investigate and being unable to do so due to Sora catching his attention back.

"R-Roxas?" The brunet asked with uncertainty, eyes turning back to a light filled blue as he blinked back into reality.

"Roxas!" He exclaimed, running and hugging the blonde. Roxas hugged him back, happy to finally hold his other in his arms again, his heart beating excitedly in his chest. His Other was so  _ warm  _ and comfy, he loved it when they touched, he thought somewhat shamefully. There was a tingling in the back of his heart and it made him so giddy in Roxas' presence.

"Sora! So you're alright?" Roxas laughed, holding Sora in front of him.

"Yeah... There was this guy, Vanitas, and he kept saying how in keeping you here... I'm not keeping you chained here, right Roxas?" Sora started to cry again, trembling.

"You can't leave and I haven't even tried to find a way to free you-"

"Sora, it's fine." Roxas cut in. Sora blinked.

**What?**

Sora thought, blinking.

"If I haven't said it enough, ya big goofball,” Roxas said, messing up Sora’s hair with a friendly shake “I don't mind being here. I love being apart of you. You're so amazing in the way you always have a positive outlook and are always laughing... I like to think I'm not completely gone, that my laugh is entangled with yours and your joyfulness is encouraged by my faith in you. When we fuse, it's just intensified... I'm glad that if it could be anyone it was you." Roxas said. Sora really was an airhead if these things weren't obvious by now.

Roxas leaned over and kissed Sora's tears away, the brunet flushing.

"Huh?!" Sora said, face all red. He immediately put a hand to where Roxas' lips once were. _ So delicate and and smooth... _

"You're so cute when you're happy, I couldn't let some silly tears get in the way of that." Roxas said laughing lightly, stepping forward  and brushing a hair out of Sora's face.

"Sora, could I have the honor of fusing with you?" Roxas said with a small laugh. He reached out his hand, predicting the too obvious answer.

Sora nodded, sniffing away the last few tears on his cute puffy face. He took Roxas' hand and hugged the blonde, Roxas blushing at the sudden display.

They fused together slowly, Roxas' heart warmly wrapping around Sora's like a soft blanket, a joyful hug for finally reuniting with his friend, Sora’s Heart slowly sinking in and blending with his Other's. When the two hearts were snug together, Hikari popped into existence, body curled around the heart in his chest.

Hikari smiled, stretching his arms. This routine was so common for them, it was almost as second nature as yawning.

“ _ Sora, are you okay _ ?” Roxas said through Hikari, smiling.

“ **Well yeah, I think so. I feel - how should I put it - more full.** ” Sora answered through Hikari. He placed his hand on his chest, squeezing the fabric a bit. Hikari’s smile faded as he came to the slow realization something was  _ wrong _ .

“Odd, usually our…  _ their _ thoughts are in our, no  _ my _ , head.” Hikari said, laughing nervously. As he recalled, Maku sometimes spoke Sora or Vanitas' thoughts.

He looked around, noticing he was still in his station of serenity. The tiles had changed, the glass sporting neither Roxas nor Sora. It was just him, his own single body lying sleeping on the floor.

“Definitely weird.” He noted to himself, closing his eyes. When he opened his two blue orbs, he was in Sora’s bed. The brownish blonde sat up sleepily, back aching.

He arched over in pain, rubbing the sore spot. Looking around, he felt out of place. The bed wasn’t quite comfortable as it used to be, it just didn’t seem  _ him _ . It was his, no,  _ Sora’s _ bed, so why should it feel any different?

Hikari rubbed his hand through his hair, yawning. He got up off his bed and just brushed past his room mirror as he went out. He smiled to himself as he traced the walls of Sora’s house with his hand, remembering his first time ever formally being fused and walking down this same path.

"Hey Sora, your mom sent me to check up on you." A womanly voice came from the kitchen. "I had just moved in next door, but I was the only one available, so sorry for the unfamiliar face."

Hikari poked his head around the corner hesitantly, not speaking and hesitant towards this newcomer. She looked harmless enough, but a new face scared him.

He slowly came out from the staircase, still keeping a distance. “...” He mumbled something in an almost inaudible manner, timidly avoiding eye contact. It was abnormal for him to be bashful, but it felt like a new experience so he ran with it. He wasn’t quite comfortable this lady, even if he could tell she meant no harm.

“Sweetie, mind speaking up a bit? I can’t hear you.” The woman said, tightening her grip around the edges of her purse. She took a step to get closer to him and he promptly stiffened up.

He gripped his shoulder and tried to look at her. “My name… I um… I prefer H-Hikari…” He stuttered, flushing bashfully across his face.

**_I’m not just Sora. I’m Hikari._ **

He thought, no longer comfortable to be called his former name. He was his own person, right? So granted, he should get his own name.

Hikari shivered due to no particular chill as the thought ran through his brain, as if just realizing for that he was truly himself. For the first time, he couldn’t hear Sora’s thoughts and Roxas’ comments, he felt independent and somewhat free. Sure, he could definitely feel them, his heart humming at the thought of those two, blushing with a small smile as he held a hand over his chest, which radiated more warmth and security than ever before. In his mind, if he reached out, he couldn’t touch their essence, it was like all trace of their own two individualities had vanished and he was all that was left. Looking down at himself, he could see the carefree goofy wisps of bright yellow that represented Sora and the fiery twilight red representing Roxas, all mixed up in a swirl of orange mess that was his own mind, thought and being. The two puzzle pieces fit together perfectly inside him, and Hikari felt truly  _ complete _ .

If Hikari closed his eyes, he could imagine it as a soft vine, warmth radiating and wrapping around his right arm. It seemed to hug his flesh happily, cuddling it. He's sure, if it could make a sound, it would pur. The little creature fit so perfectly around his arm, it seemed to never want to let go.

**_Hm. Sora's love for Roxas._ **

Hikari thought, identifying this weird, parasite like plant.

His mind was like a plant, two large pulsating vine twisting together to form a tree. One colour supplied Roxas' past, feelings and powers, etc. The other contained Sora's thoughts, emotions and memories, etc; some tiny leaves blackish, Maku's small trace upon Sora's soul. A fusion, once fused, exists until one party member dies, forever leaving some mark on their heart. Hikari began to wonder what his mark upon Sora and Roxas' trees he left after they unfused.

Currently he could see a new vine created by two connected from either sides at the top of the tree, where a few pinkish orangey branches, a combination of Sora's warm yellow and Roxas' twilight sunset red.  _ His memories,  _ to be precise.  _ His _ thoughts,  _ his  _ emotions,  _ his  _ feelings. It was  quite a large part of the weird tree, but growing stronger and bigger by the day nonetheless.

He felt something poke at his other arm, shy and hesitant, like a child unsure whether or not to share something with an adult. Hikari looked down to see another vine and Hikari smiled to himself. He turned his palm over, extending a hand of welcome. Slowly, the vine slithered up Hikari's arm, and even more reluctant to press forward. Soon, after Hikari waited paitently, it made it up the entire length of his arm. It sat there quietly, soaking up Hikari's light and enjoying the soft skin.

**_I can feel it. Roxas' love for Sora._ **

Hikari thought. He hummed peacefully, the two moving simultaneously to his chest and merging together in his heart.

Roxas and Sora didn’t seem to be peeking over his shoulder anymore, Hikari seemed to be dominant for once, and he felt a small burst of accomplishment and happiness rushed forth within him. It was a new feeling, this energy buzzing through his body, and he  _ liked it _ .

“Oh, ok, I just called you Sora because that’s what yer’ mom said, anyways. She told me she wouldn’t be back for a few days, so are you stocked up on food, darlin’?” The woman said, peering around to the fridge and giving it’s insides a good look. "Got a lot of tomatoes here..." She mumbled, commenting on the array of  the red fruit lined up in the cold containment.

"I-I..." Hikari mumbled, still not confident enough to speak up to her. He started playing with his hair which looked like the brownish blonde leaves of a plant, stuffed together to make his hair.

 

"Anyways, I put my phone number on the table, in case you need me, just give me a holler." She said, giving a wrinkled smile and placing a slip of paper on the wooden surface. "Bye, hon." She ruffled his hair and he blushed, her walking out the door.

Hikari stood there silently for a moment, unsure of what to do. Maybe he could go over to Riku's, but that'd require unfusing, frowning at the thought. Hikari traced his body with his fingertips, trailing up to hug his shoulders, he felt  _ really good _ , unsure he ever really wanted to split apart again.   
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Their situation is pretty screwed up I can safely say. Hikari is a shy child, much like Roxas when he first joined the organization and gets flustered around new people,(which is more cute and evident in the manga) barely speaking or keeping eye contact. That's not saying he's like that all the time. He makes friends fast. He’s more energetic like Sora with the people he knows.
> 
> Also there's a call back with the tomatoes.
> 
> Maku: ... *looks in his bag*
> 
> Aiko: Hm? What's wrong, Maku?
> 
> Maku: ... There's just so many tomatoes. It's stupid.
> 
> Aiko: Huh? It's not stupid! I was trying to be nice, geeeezzz, Baka.
> 
> Nana: You saved my precious darling, how else could I thank you?
> 
> Maku: *thinks* By making Aiko never come near me again?
> 
> -he then remembered he was half Sora and decided not to say that.-


	12. The

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When two minds are in harmony, they embody love and respect in its truest form. But, maybe, coming from experience, being made of light isn't always the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An: HEY GUYS HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY. *STREAMERS AND CONFETTI* TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE STUCK WITH ME, I SINCERELY THANK THEE. IT's ALMOST THE END, HOPED U ENJOYED THIS LITTLE TRAINWRECK OF FEELS
> 
> 閉じる - Tojiro, close, (of a person or relationship) on very affectionate or intimate terms.
> 
> 愛 - Ai, love, an intense feeling of deep affection.
> 
> (Yes I know Aiko means "love Child", you try coming up with names. Hikari means "light" wow Winx you're so creative. I HAVE 2 CHARACTERS NAMED HIKARI AND AIKO! The second Hikari is a silent asexual guy all my irl friends ship with a park bench and the second Aiko is a gay cupid hermaphrodite sniper… I have weird stories ok? BITSTRIPS WAS WEIRD.)
> 
> Beta: rinsegaku thank u boo 3

_**-In the beginning-** _

Hikari's existence was fickle.

It was as if he was breathing one moment, but gone from the universe the next. It was slightly irritating but he didn't let it bug him.

Plus even when Roxas' and Sora were "separate" - well as separate as you can be when you still share one heart that shifts around every time they decide to fuse.- Hikari was still there. A bit inside of Roxas' consciousness and bit inside Sora. He was only a feeling at that point, a weird yearning the two had admitted to, but had never found the cause of.

When Hikari was born, he felt plastic and stiff, eyes blurry and two voices inside his head that were freaking out. He drifted in and out of consciousness for a bit, until he finally started to grasp his life chosen for him, specifically.

His first thoughts were quiet and filled with confusion.

_**Huh? I'm Sora... But I'm also Roxas. That doesn't make sense! It would maybe if Roxas was apart of Sora, but that isn't right, because I'm not just Sora. I'm definitely Roxas, too! Who am I, if not both? Gahhh! This is so confusing.** _

He looked at both of his palms.

_**If I'm equally Sora and Roxas, does that mean I'm a fusion?** _

To be honest, Sora and Roxas' voices were sort of annoying at first. He couldn't properly think without the two fully cooperating, so it was useless to put up a fight. It was just so confusing for him when they were at odds.

_**I'm fused together, because they want to be together, right?** _

At some point, he realized he was irritated because the two were always out of sync, never on the same page. Sora always forgot, and Roxas remembered, frustrated he couldn't really convey his situation to Sora.

Roxas had a hope for Sora. He trusted the brunet to fix everything and put his work to rest. He approved of Sora and was fine to not be around if it was for the brunet.

Sora was frustrated that Roxas couldn't live anymore, that he couldn't do anything for him. He always felt they were somewhat friends, and he had let said friend down.

Hikari needed harmony to survive, a harmony that could only come if the two figured out how to convey their emotions equally.

Until that harmony had been achieved, he wasn't fully himself, more like a puppet body with two voices in his head. When both distinctions melded into one, only could he be in a right existance.

He was delighted when he laughed for the first time, enjoying the sound of his voice coming out in such a way. Talking was a surprise, but laughter was astounding.

Roxas and Sora weren't fighting in his head anymore, at least he thought so, until he was ripped from existence. But, this time, he wasn't completely gone, but an echo in the twos' heads.

He would think that this was odd but he couldn't properly think without Sora, and in Sora's echo, without Roxas. Inside Roxas, He needed his other half inside Sora to completely be, and in this state it was painfully lonely, not yet fully complete, but not yet empty. Knowing, that another piece of yourself was so close, but not a proper union.

It was all confusing and made him feel a poignant sense of _wrongness_.

He was so empty, frozen and barely awake, it was all a blur. Truly a torturous state he had to bare with, being not asleep, but not yet awake, submerged within the ocean depths of their heaviest emotions.

So, when they had fused again together, it was like seeing a foggy figure beyond the surface and then being hoisted from the depths into the warm air, refreshing and glad to breath again.

He gripped onto _his_ , or _Sora's_ bedsheets tightly, transitioning into the waking world without conscious thought of doing so. He settled into Sora's body so smoothly, beach tan skin right and comfortable around his newly made soul.

His body was always warm, the sensation concentrated at his chest and spreading smoothly. At some points, the feeling became more physical, and his temperature was hotter than before.

Everything was so real.

Not just an illusion or fake digital program.

But it could never be his.

This may of been real, but _that_ was the truth.

It was Roxas' and Sora's, he was just a vessel for them to carry it out and he couldn't help be happy that at least he was being useful for, oddly enough, himself. Not the organization's ploy or Xehanort's trap. It was _his_ experience.

How he handled some things, however, was a different story.

Some people have helicopter parents, just imagine two people breathing down your neck, in your mind. Two opinions that sometimes clashed and in the end, only one filtered through, albeit, altered to some degree.

At Riku's reaction to his existence, there was a conflict churning in his stomach. Surprise, annoyance and a unconditional protectiveness rushing like waves inside him, lapping over his initial shock with ferocity.

Why did the silverette appear so on guard with his presence? Hikari sort of harboured some hate likewise, but only because Roxas was still somewhat peeved with Riku for messing up his life, even if he now realized Riku only did for his own friend, Sora.

When Riku asked them if he could unfuse, he'd been utterly **shocked**.

_**What's wrong with me?** _

_**Am I not good enough for you?** _

_**Don't tell me you just see me as a corrupted Sora!** _

Hikari's thoughts went ablaze, feeling one emotion he hadn't felt before.

_**Rejection.** _

His thoughts whispered in bitter acceptance. He was an existence entirely founded on love. The more Sora and Roxas were attracted to each other, the stronger his existence became. This confidence was a core part of his being.

_**Can't Riku... Accept that?** _

Sadness panged through his once flourishing heart, and left his two cornerstones broken. Maybe he'd be fine if he was more oblivious, didn't read into things like Sora. But he wasn't. He had some of Roxas' cautious nature, the cause of him seeking out the meaning to every subtlety in Riku's body and attitude. It was due to all of Roxas' Hurt that made him like this. The Hurt Sora was trying to mend.

_**Hurt leads to more hurt, in the end.** _

Roxas had already lost Axel, lost his life, and in that pit of loneliness he was able to finally find somewhat of a way out, through Sora. Now... He was just going to throw it all away because of one question?

_**I can't take this!** _

In his mind he cried out, cracking.

Sora started to tug on their connection, breaking free and once more taking the reigns. The brunet's heart felt painful. Riku's words had been strong, as Sora's friend, his words were always taken with more importance than others. That amplified by Roxas' cautiousness... He didn't exactly know what he was feeling.

It was so confused, it was as if Sora's heart was crying, unable to be comforted by Roxas' presence.

Fusion, this new ability, if Sora had to describe it, was fulfilling. It gave back somewhat to Roxas, which Sora had unknowingly taken. Sora thought he had the knack for understanding hurt, but this gave that a whole new level of intimacy.

Maybe, he wouldn't be lying if he said his heart preferred to be that way.

* * *

"Sora! You came back!" Roxas exclaimed, worried about his condition. He grabbed Sora's hands. The blonde gripped them tightly for a moment, as if afraid Sora would squirm out of his grasp.

The brunet's palms were always such a perfect fit, Sora's fingers wrapping around his own hand by reflex. Looking down at them, Roxas was glad he didn't have his organization uniform anymore: there was a certain wall between his gloves and the world around him. With his fingers free to feeling, he loved the rush of familiarity that ran through him at contact with Sora.

"Of course! I'd never abandon a friend." Sora replied.

Roxas pressed his eyebrows in thought.

"I need to talk to you about something, but I think I need Hikari to do that." He said, almost angry.

"Okay..." Sora said, nodding.

"To put it simply, can we fuse again?" Roxas said, determined.

"Sure, Roxas." Sora agreed, smiling. To be honest he wanted to talk to Roxas about earlier that day, too. His heart had never hurt like that before after they unfused.

Roxas smiled back, tracing his fingers up Sora's arms and pulling him closer. He closed his eyes, and they rested their foreheads on the others, bodies turning into light.

The two energies immediately dove towards the other, intermingling and pulsing, the beings shifting around until they were comfortable. In a flash, everything settled, and Hikari awoke, finding himself lying down in Sora's bed. It was weird, how Sora and Roxas could fuse and never form someone different, it would only be _him_.

"Looks like I'm back, huh?" He said quietly, the light of the moon casting shadows on everything it touched.

Now, though, wasn't the time for him to be admiring its beauty. Now, he could finally heal his heart and soothe its aching.

Leaving Roxas and Sora alone to each other, his mind was a blur. It was null and yet he still had as strong pulse as the two argued and his form wavered.

If he had to say why he was so strong, so better, than the two of them individually, came down to the fact, fundamentally, he was weak.

Hikari would never be alone, and this sense of being cared for was because he relied on something even weirder than running around with an oversized key:

he relied on _intimacy._

_Is it alright with you for me to do this? I'm not too close, am I? Are you okay with me doing that? I'm sorry, can I touch you in that way?_

Space isn't an option when fusing, the closer the better. The two lights Hikari was made of needed familiarity, touching gently and prodding to guide the other into one space. It was almost embarrassing on how he was like an infant baby, relying so much on touching, contact, him craving that feeling.

Every time he caressed his skin, he was Sora touching Roxas and Roxas touching Sora. It's why fusion required the two to share a strong bond: would you ever want to cuddle with your enemy?

( _Cuddling_ \- Hikari blushed at the thought, tightening the grip he had on his shoulders. Maybe this still remaining sense of boyish nervousness would fade over time, what then? Would he be fine with kisses at that point?!)

There were no boundaries, no lines restricting him, there was no need to ask because he'd trust in them. Sora and Roxas were two open books, completely boundless to each other, laid bare to see and feel. It wasn't sexual, no, he didn't exist for that, but a strong bond that couldn't be overcrossed.

Every Time Roxas and Sora touched, skin on skin, he felt a little tug on him in his null void. He was love and he needed intimacy in the strongest brand.

Destroy that bond, place down distrust and fear; then Hikari would no longer be.

* * *

He was screaming.

Screaming alone in the darkness.

His heart wasn't simply unfused, it was broken. Instead of taking a puzzle apart, piece by piece, they'd tore it in two. Usually he was fine when he was unfused. Sure, he didn't really exist at that point. He was just a sense of longing that was merely an echo in the back of their hearts, but that was nothing compared to this.

He reached for something, anyone, to grab onto. But couldn't, in the abyss.

Hikari was alone, and he couldn't be alone! From inside Sora, his heart clawed desperately. He still had quite a bit of Roxas in his heart, seeing as his heart was made up of the two. Within the brunet, he had half Roxas' heart and half his own, but you can't put two different halves together and expect it to work.

Hikari's thoughts didn't make sense, and his nerve endings were dulled, unable to feel. He wasn't Hikari. This monster could never even compare. Hikari could only exist when they fused, and this terrible monster was not that unity. A warped shadow that tried and failed.

So the monster kept screaming.

Alone.

* * *

**_I'm- I'm back._ **

Hikari fluttered open his eyes. He gently felt his skin, hugging his arms close to his chest.

_**Roxas, Sora... Inside me together as they should be.** _

He treasured the warmth at the center of his being, knowing he'd have to be split apart at some point. The very thought of it made his mouth sour.

Roxas was definitely happier. Not in the way he usually was, just at peace with everything, but, excited, filled with a lively energy that danced in Hikari's veins. Sora's half was simply content because Roxas was happy. He was simple in that way.

Sora didn't need a reason to help people.

Usually they just fused at night, while Sora was sleeping, but Hikari was always restless. He didn't just want to exist, he wanted to _live_.

_Hey Sora~, how about we surprise Kairi? I want to see, if maybe, I can see Naminé._

**Huh? Who's that?**

_She's Kairi's nobody. You've met her._

**Oh yeah! I remember now.**

Roxas rolled his eyes internally, but smiled nonetheless. He looked forward to interacting further with the redhead. She'd reached out to him in the fake twilight town and somewhat helped him: he'd like to know just how special this girl was. Especially how much she mattered to Sora... It made him feel something akin to jealousy, almost. Weird. He tried to shrug off the odd feeling, instead, looking forward to seeing Sora's friend.

Yes, this was going to be fun.

* * *

_**-Back to present time-** _

" **I don't - I don't want to go.** " Sora said through Hikari, squeezing their arm.

" _Okay then._ " Roxas said in response. He cradled Sora softly in their shared mindspace. His little ball of energy pulsated different colours depending on his mood. Most of the time, he was yellow or orange, emitting a welcoming warmth as he rubbed against Roxas' own essence.

_We don't have to go if you don't want, I'm fine being like this._

**Thank you. I'm happy to stay with you.**

The brunet gave a light squeeze back to the blonde, hugging the other spirit tightly.

_**So if we're not unfusing, what do we do?** _

The dirty blonde took a deep breath before looking out the window, past his reflection in the glass, out onto the beach. Maybe his friends would be of help.

Hikari quickly got dressed in regular clothes he felt were his style and rushed out the door. He stopped again, realizing Riku wasn't exactly comfortable with his presence. It wasn't really Hikari's fault he was made up of Roxas. Hikari could've been totally different and still he would've offset Riku because he was still half Roxas.

It was like hating Riku for having silver hair. As an unlikely it may be, he was still born with it, so it'd be weird to hate Riku for the one thing he couldn't change.

"Definitely should go talk to Riku," Hikari said to himself, nodding. And so off he set.

* * *

"Oh hi-" Riku stopped mid sentence, seeing who was at his door. Hikari stood stiff, shoulders at attention. He looked determined.

"Hey Riku, can we talk?" Hikari asked, hesitant.

* * *

They were walking side by side at the beach. Hikari more relaxed in this setting. The beach, the waves, the sky... He'd never get sick of it, both parts of him agreed.

"I was thinking and I'm sor-" Hikari started, breaking the silence.

"It's okay," Riku said.

"...what?"

"It's okay."

Hikari was puzzled, cuing for the silveret to go on.

"I realized that it's okay, because you're you, and that's that. I can't make you choose who you are, Sora." Riku said, closing his eyes for a moment. It was great to finally have it off his chest.

"It's _Hikari._ " Hikari mumbled, agitated. He quickly realized how unintentionally hostile that was and tried to make up for it. "At least I prefer that now. I understand if it takes a while to get used to."

"Huh? Well I'm sorry then, Hikari." Riku said, blinking. It wasn't mean or anything, just correcting a mistake.

"It's alright. I just feel my real name fits better." Hikari said smiling. He put his arms behind his head, doing one of his signature poses. For a moment, he was beaming, until his face fell.

"Riku... I know this _isn't_ okay with you. You don't have to pretend you like me." Hikari said.

"What but So-" Riku started, surprised.

"But Sora exactly! You look at me and see him, when I'm not him! I'm not just Sora, I'm Roxas, too!" Hikari pleaded "Riku... Roxas doesn't really hate you for what you did to him... In truth, he probably would have done the same in your position." He said with a small smile.

"And that's what I don't get. You're him, but you're not. It's confusing. How many people can 'fuse'? It's not that I don't support you, it's just, going to take some time to adjust, that's all. I don't know how to react." Riku admitted. Hikari acted so much like Sora, it was almost frightening. He didn't like fighting with his friends.

**_Of course how silly of me to think Riku wouldn't understand... But still, does he accept us? Accept Roxas as well as Sora?_ **

He asked himself in his head.

_**Why does our life have to always be so difficult?! ... I believe in Riku. I can depend on him to always stay by our side.** _

He sometimes wished he'd stop overthinking things, a trait acquired from Roxas. Gladly Sora's faith, trust and (pixie dust) optimism always saw a hopeful outcome.

"Thank you." Hikari said, smiling in gratitude. "Sometimes I can't wrap it around my head how someone go from just running around on these shores; unaware that there were tons of other beaches, tons of other oceans; to exploring whole new worlds. None can compare to this one though." He laughed, bending over and picking up a seashell. It was smooth as he glazed his thumb over the surface. Hikari looked at it with gentle nostalgia, smiling to something only the two of them would understand. "Hmm thinking about it, maybe one can."

"I'll save this one for her." He mumbled, putting it in his pocket. Riku caught wind of the words, immediately assuming Hikari was talking about Kairi. She enjoyed making necklaces, charms and bracelets out of seashells as a hobby. As the mayor's daughter, she'd sometimes sell them at charity events to raise money.

"That's right," Riku said with a smirk "Roxas and Naminé were the only ones to meet their former selves. But then again, they weren't really normal nobodies to begin with."

Hikari nodded, not really knowing how to respond. He put his arms behind his head as they walked further along the beach.

"Do you see Kairi any differently?" Riku asked.

"Huh? What kind of question is that? We've been friends for over a decade, how would that change?" Hikari asked. "If you want me to drop out of the race for the papou fruit because I have an unfair advantage of winning by being way better, then I can see what you mean..."

"Like if that could ever happen! No, I just wondered if you saw Naminé instead of Kairi." Riku said with a laugh.

"Sometimes, but it's more of a trick of the light. One moment Kairi's a redhead, the other I swear she's a blonde. Whether or not they can fuse is a mystery to me. Fusions are based off relationships I've come to realize." Hikari said, blushing slightly while thinking about his crush.

Riku stopped, causing Hikari to halt too, confused. "Who was that in Twilight Town? He wasn't you, right?" Riku asked, suddenly serious.

Hikari, surprised by the sudden question, stuttered. "Yeah- well, no. He was a fusion of Sora and someone else. I don't know who." He answered.

Riku sighed, frustrated.

"Did he hurt you? I mean, Sora?" Riku asked. He was more concerned about his safety than this other person's identity. From the way Maku had acted, this "unknown" person wasn't exactly all light and friendship.

"Kind of, but Sora's already healed due to my healing factor." Hikari said after thinking. He rotated his foot, remembering the injury.

"You can stop worrying so much: I'm fine, he's fine, we're fine." Hikari said placing a hand on Riku's shoulder and smiling into his green tinted blue eyes. He tried to convey as much assurance, not wanting to be a burden.

"Please, Hikari, just promise me one thing." Riku said, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

"Of course, anything, that's what best friends are for." Hikari said, smiling.

" _Don't fall into darkness."_

* * *

Riku's words hung in his head, sticking like a mantra he repeated constantly.

_**Fall into darkness? Why would we fall into darkness?** _

Hikari lie in his pajamas, pondering the words.

_**Unless that mirror version of Roxas was right... No! We can't trust him. Let's just... Get some sleep.** _

Hikari thought, snuggling in Sora's covers. He felt warm and cosy, snug in this form. His body radiated an aura of peacefulness as he lie.

As he drifted off, he heard a faint sound.

_Hello there._

A familiar voice cut through. When Hikari opened his eyes, he was on his station of Serenity. Seeing an odd form in the distance, Hikari squinted at it, the world warping around him. He wasn't on his station of Serenity, rather a castle balcony filled with grass and a great view of the stars.

*:･ﾟ✧LAND OF DEPARTURE ✧ﾟ･: *

The memory was so calming and relaxing, it made the fusion almost want to take a nap, of all things! It just felt so peaceful here...

Hikari looked and saw a figure hiding in the shadows. "Come out and show yourself." He demanded, summoning his keyblade, Two Become One.

"Woah, I mean no harm, I'm a keyblade wielder too," the figure laughed softly.

The figure stepped out into clearer view from behind a tree, and Hikari saw a barely visible body, a heart floating in the person's chest. The blue eyes, blonde hair...

"Hi, my name is Ventus. But everyone just calls me Ven."

* * *

"Huh?" Hikari said blinking. Sora pulled on their heart with recognition, seeing Roxas' face in the stranger clear as day.

Roxas on the other hand only saw an enemy.

"We can't drop our guard, this guy attacked me earlier." Roxas said through Hikari, the fusion stepping forward and summoning his second keyblade.

"What but..." Sora stuttered through Hikari. His eyes danced nervously on Ventus, unsure if Hikari should raise his blade. It just didn't feel right.

Ventus could see their two distinct sentences, noting Hikari's change in demeanor. The blonde was quiet though, face sullen with regret.

"Summon your keyblade." Hikari said, still cautious. Sora wanted to listen to Roxas, he trusted him, but something still seemed _wrong_.

Ventus shook his head sadly and raised his hand. For a moment, a weird gear-like keyblade formed in a haze of light, but fizzled out and broke in mere seconds.

"What-?!" Hikari said, surprised. He'd never seen that happen before.

"A long time ago, my heart was split into two halves. One of darkness and one of light." Ventus said, putting out a hand to represent one half and a second for the other. "I don't remember what happened, but my heart healed after being ripped apart. Master Xehanort wanted the two halves to come together again so we could create the _x_ -blade."

"Master Xehanort?!" Hikari exclaimed, narrowing his eyes. He had practically jumped when his name was mentioned.

Sora thought for a bit, recalling that these details seemed familiar. Vanitas may've mentioned it.

"It is the original, the one all keyblades are based off. The one the keyblade war was fought over. It can only be made when a force of pure light and pure darkness come together. I was the heart of pure light and Vanitas was the darkness." Ventus said, lightly bringing his two hands together.

"I see... So that's why his heart was so full of sorrow." Sora said quietly through Hikari, thinking about Vanitas'. He looked back up at Ventus.

"You don't mean fusion?" Hikari asked.

"Our union was incomplete, so in order to make sure the _x_ -blade was never forged, I destroyed it, breaking my heart in the process. I thought I would die... But somehow I found refuge within Sora." Ventus said with a soft smile, looking at the stunned fusion.

"Huh?" Hikari exclaimed, confused. He lost all composure, flustered. "Sora?"

"That's why, in order to pay him back, I have to tell you: _stop fusing_." Ventus said, suddenly serious.

"What? Why? It's not like they're a pure darkness and a pure light." Hikari said, angered.

_He can't just tell us to do that, right?_

**I know, Roxas. But I trust him. We could at least listen to him, he doesn't get to decide what our actions are. This fusion is more... personal than the type of fusion he described.**

Sora tried to reason with his feelings and Roxas. He was getting mad too, that Ventus would suggest such a thing, but he doubted it was without a reason.

"That's right. But your heart is one of pure light." Ventus said "By themselves, they have darkness, but not a huge amount, especially towards each other. I put them against each other constantly, hoping to somewhat drive the two apart, but they ended up becoming closer because of it. I even fused temporarily with Vanitas, to show you what misfortune it could cause, but it didn't work.

You were right in guessing your type of fusion is based on relationships. When two hearts come together, the heart has a combined light and darkness. Since Vanitas is total darkness and Sora's heart is mostly light, but still has darkness, Maku's heart was primarily darkness, and had little light. The light he did have was stronger than what it should've been, even at such a low consistency, which I guess is because Vanitas was not at full strength, seeing as his heart was broken too."

"So, what are you getting at, 'Ventus'?" Roxas said through Hikari, practically growling. He didn't like being undermined and manipulated, which was probably this look-alike's intention. Sora was still hesitant in their head, not saying anything.

"When you two first fused, Hikari's heart had moderate darkness, but each time the two met and fused, I could see the darkness ebbing away a tiny bit. I asked Vanitas to intervene, seeing as he loves destroying relationships, and for a while it kind of worked, but I never imagined it would end up having your heart broken in two like mine. And for that I apologize."

Ventus paused for a moment, not expecting them to accept it. It didn't matter, as long as he saved Sora.

Hikari's grip tightened on his summoned Keyblade.

"Because your fusions are based on relationships, the more you two overcame, null hatred and sorrow between each other, the less darkness your heart had. When the two come together, their hearts overlap light over the other's darkness, erasing it until when you split apart. If Xehanort found out about you, he'd probably put you through the same pain as me in order to forge the x-blade." Ventus said sadly.

"We'll make sure he doesn't find out. My friends and I are going to defeat Xehanort. And, maybe save you too, Ven." Hikari said.

Ventus shook his head. "If only it were that simple." He said.

Hikari tilted his head, confused.

"You didn't just get rid of the darkness, your hearts began to bond differently. After Hikari's heart broke into two, you two were able to make up and fuse again. But when his heart was healing, the strings binding you two together grew stronger, even if in a small amount. I'm guessing it was a type of defense mechanism, to keep it from happening again. As a result, whenever Roxas and Sora fought each other and overcame it, coming together, the bonds keeping your heart together became stronger. You've even been fusing longer and longer. " Ventus said.

Hikari's eyes widened. His head started to hurt, and heart began to pound in his chest, questioning the bond that held him in place. His keyblades fell to the floor, clattering and falling to pieces, background noise compared to what he was going through. He clutched his stomach and started to frantically mumble, the two of them arguing.

"It can't be like that, right? Of course not, but- I'm not chaining you down, it can't be. It has to be more than that. I don't see any reason for him to lie, maybe it's better if we take this slowly. But we can't ignore the possibility. Why did this have to happen? Isn't this just proving his theory-" Ventus could only watch as Hikari talked to himself, almost like he was spiraling into madness. Hikari gripped the side of his head, tears starting to fall down his face in confusion.

"You mean so much more to me, or could that just be this strange link we have. Our feelings, they are real, have to be real! Is this just fabricated? Us, this relationship? I cantIcant, IdontknowIdontknowIdontknowIdontknow!" Hikari screamed, knees falling to the floor. His body was shaking and mouth quivering.

"Sora-" Ventus said stepping forward, worried.

Hikari's head snapped up jarringly, pupils small and eerie as his face was filled with sorrow. His keyblade fell to the floor, clattering and falling to pieces.

 _ **"It's Hikari!"**_ Hikari screamed angrily. Suddenly his body turned to light and Sora and Roxas both fell out of the blob and onto the floor, their bodies making rough contact with the grass.

Everything was silent as nobody moved. Roxas and Sora breathed heavily, trying to mentally recover from such turmoil. Sora's head and chest ached, heaving never experienced this type of hurt before. Slowly, Roxas struggled to get up, shaking with tears running down his face.

" _What the hell do you know?_ " Roxas said gritting his teeth as he managed to push onto his hands. His head turned over to look angrily at Ventus, face red from the mix of tears and rage.

"Nnn…" Sora made a sound of struggle, body shivering and weak. He could barely move, not even able to open his eyes fully. The forced unfusion had taken all the energy out of him.

"Coming in, talking all comfortable. It makes me sick." Roxas shakily stood up, struggling to summon both keyblades.

"It's not like that!" Ventus said, putting on an angry face as well. Why did these two have to be so dense sometimes?

Roxas growled and attempted to run at Ventus, but tripped and hit the ground when Sora caught ahold of his leg.

"Roxas… Please just stop." Sora said sternly. The sudden seriousness was odd coming from a boy who had looked so out of it just moments ago.

Roxas looked down at Sora, who still had a hold on his leg.

"Sora, aren't you mad?! How do you not want to get this guy?!" Roxas said.

"Of course I'm mad! You think I'm not angry?! I'm angry at him, I'm angry at you – _I'm angry at us!_ I'm confused, and mad, and everything hurts so much every breath I take is a struggle to survive." Sora said, yelling at Roxas at an attempt to get his feelings across.

"Then why-" Roxas started, confused.

"Because that's not what Hikari is! When we're fused, I'm happy and content to be with you Roxas, you're my friend. That is not what I'm feeling right now though. It's not what Hikari was created to be." Sora said quietly. "Sure, I was annoyed whenever the darkness toyed with us, but you had me, and I had you to fall back on. We were in that together. I wasn't scared of the darkness, because I had you to ground me to light. Not this, not on the floor questioning each other. Ventus hasn't once attacked us, and deep down I know you don't see him as a threat, Roxas. You're above acting like this."

Roxas was mostly quiet getting up, grunting as he pushed himself to his feet. He let his keyblades disappear and held out a hand for Sora to take. The brunet grasped his hand and stood up, nodding.

The blonde was still peeved, but Sora was right about him, as always. The two had grown to have a deeper understanding of each other over the course of their new relationship. He hesitated to call it friendship, because to him it was something more profound. He could feel Sora clinging to his side in a subconscious effort to comfort the blond, the brunets' fingers tracing up his arm and holding the limb close to his body.

"Fine." Roxas said, standing beside Sora. Sora looked at him with empathy, holding the Nobody's hand. "I'll listen to you, Ventus. But you make any moves-"

 _"Roxas."_ Sora said, swallowing. Roxas didn't need to see Sora's expression to know what he was trying to convey. The hands on his skin were tight around the flesh.

"I'm just saying we could obviously take him, two against one and all." Roxas scoffed. Sora made a displeased noise before rolling his eyes.

Ventus was silent for a moment, blue eyes observing and waiting patiently.

"It's funny, out of all the odd things Sora has done, he's managed to fall in love with his Nobody." Ventus said quietly, almost too soft to hear.

"W-wait a minute! I like Roxas - he's one of my best friends - but not in that way." Sora said, blushing at the accusation. He'd said he'd loved Roxas once or twice, but that more of a mutual confession, one said as Hikari. Which meant whatever love it was, it was both the same.

Sora just couldn't put his feelings to words what he felt inside his heart whenever he looked at Roxas, when Sora heard him laugh, felt his touch... Sora flushed deeper at the thought.

"You don't have to want to kiss someone to love someone. There are different types of love, ones my friends helped teach me after I lost all my memories. I love them as my family, people I'd do everything and anything for, after all, they ended up losing everything for me and yet we still weren't able to stay together." Ventus pulled a weird green star-shaped charm out his pocket, about the size of his palm. His blue eyes looked at it sorrowfully, as if eons of memories and precious moments were engraved on its surface, hoping, wishing, that if he looked hard enough, they'd come to life once more. That he could laugh again without having to cry when remembering their faces.

Treasuring the wayfinder for one last moment, he squeezed it before regretfully putting it back.

It's not like it was actually there. It was just a dream he'd projected into Sora's heart.

A dream he hoped would one day come true.

"I can't tell you two what to feel. I tried to tell my friends to end me if it meant they could live and the _x_ -blade wouldn't be forged... I guess you can see how that turned out." He said with a dry laugh. "I've seen you two together, the way you smile and laugh as Hikari. How much you care and admire the other. I can't stop you. Maybe Vanitas was right and I'm too pathetic for trying after I've seen how strong you two have bonded to each other." Ventus said quietly. His smile was bittersweet, someone letting go.

"But please, at least listen to me, so I can maybe prevent another tragedy. If you fuse together as Hikari maybe one more time:

_You won't be able to unfuse."_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: You came for the Roxusora fluff and got Ventus sadness instead. Sorry not sorry. As Red vs Blue would put it, this is the beginning of the end. Looks like next chapter may be the last, kiddos.


End file.
